Many a Slip Between the Cup and the Lip
by U got 2 get down 2 get up
Summary: Percy Jackson was a fun and happy person. That was, before everything went to Hades. Now, with secrets of abuse and misfortune hiding his past and hardships darkening his future, Percy is thrown into an adventure he never asked for. Will he be able to recover from the horrors of time? Even with the help of his friends? Warning: Content of depression and child abuse. Ch. 1 FIXED
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, so this is my re-written version of chapter one. Looking back at my first chapter was actually quite painful. The poor writing was a bit hard to swallow and probably not at all appealing to readers. So I rewrote it. Hopefully it goes a bit better with the rest of the story and is all-around better written. Thank you!**

Disclaimer : I do not own Percy Jackson. All rights go to Rick Riordan/span/p

**Annabeth's POV**

_"Stop!"_  
_"I'm sorry."_  
_Then a scream pierced the air._

"Annabeth!" A shout broke the silence of the morning, waking waking me with a jolt. I groaned, burying my face in my pillow._ There was a dream… Something dangerous was happening. A battle? What was happening?_ My thoughts wandered as I laid in the blissful silence.

"ANNABETH! Daddy says that you have to get up now!" The shriek rang out once again, more persistent this time.

"Bobby, go away!" I groaned. "Can't I sleep?" Why was Bobby waking me up on a Sunday?

"Annie, daddy said to get up now!"

"Don't call me Annie! Besides, a few more minutes can't hurt." I replied shutting my eyes tighter as I grasped at the remainders of my dream. _There was a storm coming. Something was about to happen and-_

"Yeah it can. It can make you late for school!"

My eyes snapped open and immediately shot to my calendar: _Monday April 21_. I bit back a curse as I fell out of bed. "Right! Coming, coming. Just give me a few minutes! What time is it now?" I asked, scrambling around my room trying to get my clothes together. I threw a pair of jeans and a t-shirt on as I rushed into my bathroom.

"Um... it's 6:45."

The urge to curse hit me once more as I vivaciously tugged at my blond curls. My only chance to get to school on time was to catch the subway which was scheduled for 6:50am. "Thanks, Bobby. Tell dad I'm up, okay?" With a defeated groan, I gave up on my hair, choosing to instead start searching my room for my books.

"Yeah, whatever Annie." His feet made a thundering sound as he rocketed down the stairs, fully aware of the use of the nickname I despised so much.

"Don't call me Annie!"

* * *

Surrounded by obnoxious kids and solemn adults, I stared out at the passing lights. I never really liked using the subway, the feeling of willing putting myself in such a vulnerable position nerve racking. Dark and enclosed spaces were never my favorite, especially since I was a demigod. Monsters seemed to like picking fights when they could hide in the dark.

_Demigod._ I thought, a bitter-sweet tang coming to me. _Sometimes I wish..._

I shook my head. There was no point in pondering over what I could not change. Instead, I let another topic occupy my thoughts. Why had I been so incredibly out of it that morning? I naturally had a fairly good sense of time and being an entire day behind schedule was unheard of for me.

_I must've stayed up much later talking to Thalia last night. It probably created the illusion that it was a Saturday, therefore setting my internal clock back a day._ My mind reasoned as I stepped off of the subway, turning towards the dirty stairs. As I sped towards Goode High in the early morning light of New York City, another brilliant revelation wandered through my thoughts. _Thalia was talking to me. I have no idea what she was telling me. I am in so much trouble._

* * *

"Annabeth!" I turned around to see Thalia's electric blue eye staring right at me as she strode towards me. She wore her normal black jeans and combat boots, her bands t-shirt hidden by the leather jacket that draped around her shoulders as always.

"Hey, Thalia! How was your weekend?" I asked politely, shutting my locker as I turned to face her fully.

The girl let out an exaggerated groan, leading me towards the entrance of the school. The crowd was thinning, giving me a clearer view of the street outside. "Too freaking long! I've waited for this day since I was five! I can't believe he's gonna go to the same school as us after so long!"

I raised an eyebrow questionably. I had never seen her so enthusiastic about someone transferring to our school before. I was just about to voice my question when Thalia's cousin, Nico, strode up to us.

"Thalia, have you seen him yet? I haven't spotted him all morning." Nico spared a quick glance at me. He and Thalia seemed to have a competition going for who could wear the most black for the longest amount of time. It was rather amusing watching them argue who looked better in the color when it really did suit them both. "Oh hey, Annabeth. I guess Thalia probably filled you in on what's going on, right?"

"She did, actually. I just sorta forgot." I offered them an apologetic smile, internally bracing myself for Thalia's reaction.

"What?" Thalia's voice was distracted as she turned to me, her anger halfhearted. "Annie, how could you forget? I was only talking for three hours!"

"I'm sorry! I had to finish last minute homework." My weak excuse barely seemed to register for her. Instead, Thalia sighed before taking my arm and leading me closer to the doors. I took a swift glance at the clock._ 20 minutes till class_. I thought, gazing about the front street. Taxis and cars created a steady stream of traffic up the road.

"Thalia, why are we standing at the front doors?" My eyes searched for anything out of the ordinary, as I crossed my arms over my grey T-shirt.

"Well if you listened, you'd know exactly why!" She replied, obviously still a little miffed about my lack of listening.

"I'm sorry, okay? You know how I get when I'm doing schoolwork." I looked up to see not her expected expression of annoyance in her eyes, but excitement.

"Okay, listen this time." She told me, her eyes flitting back to the street every few seconds. "My cousin is moving here from Long Island. I have only seen him like a handful of times since I moved here when I was little. Although we haven't seen each other in a while, we were always close and kept in contact. He's even good friends with Mr. Antisocial over there." She said jabbing a finger to where Nico was standing. Surprisingly he only rolled his eyes at her before he continued to scan the grounds.

"Okay." I said trying to spur her forward since she also seemed to be content to stare out at the road.

"Right, anyway. So he's a really great guy and he's going to transfer to Goode today." Thalia finished. A giddy smile slowly stretched across her face, "I can't wait to seem him!"

I smiled inwardly as I caught the rare expression on the normally sarcastic and stoic face. I had never seen her so energetic and happy. Glancing back at the rode, I couldn't help but feel that this guy was someone special.

* * *

"Hey, Thals, if you don't mind too much, I'm going to go to class." I had been waiting for Thalia and Nico's cousin until five minutes till class, which was a record for me.

"Yeah yeah, sure, Annie." Thalia replied, never tearing her eyes from the road. I rolled my eyes at the name.

"Don't call me Annie." I called over my shoulder as I head to my first class.

As I walked into my history class, I glanced around at the familiar surroundings. The old book shelf at the corner of the room that no one uses. The rows of desks facing the old chalk board. Yeah, chalkboard. Our history teacher, Mr. Smith, is very old-fashioned. I swear, if he could still whack us with rulers when we misbehaved, he would do it with a smile. I sighed and took my seat at the front of the class.

In the next few minutes the rest of the students trickled in, taking their seats and pulling out their homework with collective sighs.

Piper sat down on my right, greeting me with a wave. Piper was, and still is, a smart, adventurous girl with the looks to knock anyone down. However she always played down her looks and is as sweet and modest as you could get. She is half Cherokee consequently giving her beautiful brown hair and tan skin. She had a huge crush on Thalia's brother, Jason.

I guess Jason was good-looking. He had blond spiky hair, cut in a military form. He has blue eyes like Thalia, but that's pretty much the only thing they share besides their parents. You see, Thalia is a punk. She loves heavy metal and rock, which to me, just sounds like a bunch of screaming toddlers with pots and pans. She wears a black leather jacket every day and some outfit with spikes. Her hair is cut short with spikes everywhere and she wears heavy mascara and black eyeliner. Jason on the other hand, is the little angle. He had a perfect attendance record, perfect grades (enough to rival mine, though not quite as good) and a perfect personality. He even had the looks to prove it. With his blond hair and blue eyes, he had a ton of girls chasing him. I didn't really know him enough to judge him, but he seemed like an okay guy. As a bonus, Piper liked him, and she had an excellent judge for character.

Ripped from my thoughts by the obnoxiously loud bell, Mr. Smith walked in carry an armful of books.

He set the books down on his desk neatly before turning to address the class. "Good morning."

A hollow chorus of "good morning"s echoed back to him which seemed to satisfy Mr. Smith enough.

"Okay, class, please take your seats. Today we will being our new unit on Ancient Greece." Mr. Smith clears his throat before he began an introduction to the lecture on our new unit. He speaks about the geographical features and the dangers they presented to the Greeks.

I readied my pencil, waiting for the lecture to begin. Nico and Thalia always teased me for being so smart without trying, yet holding that reputation wasn't always easy. Children of Athena were naturally born with quicker minds, yet that didn't mean that I could skip studying and notes. It just meant there was more of an expectation on my shoulders. Before I could submerge any farther into my own thoughts yet again, Mr. Smith's dull drone started to buzz through the air.

"And here are your textbooks. Treat them well, I expect them in perfect condition by the end of the year." I glance up from my notes. Mr. Smith was passing out thick green textbooks down the rows. Once I had received mine and passed the others to the people behind me I peered at the cover. It said, "Ciaten Ecerge".

_Stupid dyslexia_. I thought in irritation. Thankfully, if I concentrated hard enough on the words, I could make them out... eventually. It might not be a great method, but it's better than Thalia and Nico who also have dyslexia. Their "method" is to get frustrated and start throwing books around. In fact, all my friends have dyslexia, Piper, Reyna, Thalia, Nico, Hazel, Leo, even perfect Jason, for a very specific reason of course...

"Okay class, have a good day. Make sure to read pages 228-244." Mr. Smith said as we made our way to the door. A groan was heard from the students as they filed out.

* * *

After five other periods of learning I was exhausted. Luckily for me, sixth period was my lunch and eighth was my break. The rest of the day would be pretty easy. I walked to the cafeteria, anxious to see my friends since I only had Piper in history and Hazel in English. The rest of my classes were filled with awkward acquaintances or people I plainly didn't like.

Lunch at Goode is pretty average. Of course, there are the occasional lunches where you don't know if the clump of green stuff is supposed to be vegetables or meat, but there are some nice lunches too. Personally I always got the Greek salad with extra olives. That particular day had a ridiculously long line for salad. Letting out a sigh, I stood at the back of the line, trying my best to be patient. My eyes skipped around the cafeteria as I stood. They passed over the regular mortals, regardless of whatever cliches they had gotten themselves into. _Athletes, fashionistas, soon-to-be-CEOs..._

_Idiots. They have no idea how lucky they are._ Barely suppressing the urge to roll my eyes, I let the conversations of dances, homework and significant others turn into a white noise as I carefully started to select which olives to put into my salad.

As soon as I had finished selecting my food I strolled out to our little round picnic table my friends and I would always sit at. I vaguely questioned where Thalia and Nico were as I sat down next to their vacant seats, too engrossed in the thought of food to give it any real thought.

"Hey, Annabeth." Hazel, Nico's sister, greeted me kindly from across the table. Frank gave me a sweet smile and wave from Hazel's left. I waved back at the couple, inwardly smiling at how cute the two were.

"What's going on, Annie?" Leo asked, flashing me a peace sign. He gave me one of his smiles, the type that it's impossible not to smile back to. His curly, brown hair was as messing as ever as was his work overalls.

"Cut it out, Leo!" Piper laughed as she lightly punched Leo's arm from where she sat beside him. "The poor girl just came from Chemistry, show some sympathy." The girl gave me a brilliant smile as she gestured for me to sit. She wore a modest outfit as usual while Jason sported an equally non-descriptive clothing choice. Jason flashed me a smile before taking Piper's hand over the table.

"Hey, guys." I replied after momentarily satisfied with my intake of food. "Where's Reyna?" I indicated her empty seat next to Frank. Reyna was the colder one of the group, but part of it all the same. When she wasn't so busy being cool and collected, she could actually be pretty good company.

"Reyna's at an appointment today." Hazel supplied, picking her sandwich up. This would be a perfectly acceptable answer, had Hazel's golden eyes not locked with mine, a hidden meaning behind them. _Camp Jupiter._

I gave an imperceptible nod before turning my attention away from the missing girl.

"And Thalia and Nico are probably helping out their cousin." Jason gestured to the two other vacant seats with a tip of his head.

"Oh yeah, I heard about him. Percy, right?" Leo questioned, looking over at Piper for confirmation. "He just moved here from Rhode Island!"

"_Long_ Island, machine boy." She chuckled with an amused smirk. "And yes, this is his first day here, I believe."

"Is he a demigod, too?" Tensing, the table sent harsh glances towards Leo for his casual reference to what we were.

Piper, Jason, Thalia, Nico, Reyna, Leo, Frank, Hazel and I were (and still are) demigods.(Half human, half Greek god) Don't get too excited, it's not too great. For one, we always have monsters out to get us. Like I had said, subways are never a good thing for us. We can never use any electronics connected to the internet, though we still do once in awhile in an emergency. (We prefer Iris Messaging when contacting other demigods) Our only safe haven is Camp Half Blood and Camp Jupiter, which really aren't so bad, but they can get a little crowded. We have to keep our identities secret all the time, which means putting up with bullies and snobby jerks. Demigods also have ADHD and dyslexia. Sometimes our godly parents even send us on quests.

Now, let me tell you a bit about my friends and I that stand true to this day. My mother is Athena, goddess of wisdom and war. Piper is daughter of Aphrodite and is a very powerful charm-speaker. Leo is the son of Hephaestus, and one of the only fire users. Thalia's father is Zues. Jason's father is the Roman side of Zues, Jupiter. Frank, Hazel and Reyna all also have Roman gods as parents. Reyna's mother is Bellona, Roman goddess of war. Frank's father is Mars, god of war and bloodshed, while Hazel's father is Pluto, god of the underworld as well as precious gems and metals. Nico is the son of Hades, the Greek form of Pluto. Like Jason and Thalia, Hazel and Nico are also related, although their father was in different aspects of himself when they were sired. (Zues/Jupiter, Hades/Pluto)

"Don't say it so loud! Someone could hear you!" Frank squeaked, glancing over his shoulder. He really was quite the athlete, yet it was hard not to want to protect him when he acted so small and insignificant. However, I had learned through experience that he had the qualities of a true leader hidden behind his teddy-bear demeanor.

"It's not like anyone would believe me anyway." Leo defended in a lower tone, a childish quality creeping into his voice. "Besides, I was just wondering, cause he's Thalia and Nico's cousin and all that. And I suppose that would make him Hazel and Jason's cousin as well." He added as an afterthought.

"I don't know him all that well, honestly. I've only seen pictures once in awhile. I was a Wilderness School since last year, remember?" Jason spoke awkwardly.

"I also don't know him very well. I was stuck in the Underworld until for 40 years or so." Hazel gently reminded us. We had long ago gotten used to the fact that Hazel was not from our time. So much so, that we usually forgot all together. "Thalia and my brother are the closest to him."

"Well I want to know if we just found another demigod to joke with. Mortals are so dimwitted." Leo grinned.

"It's too risky to just ask him," Jason reasoned. "We'll just have to watch him. I know Thalia would tell me if she knew, and so far, nothing."

Hazel nodded. "I'm with Jason. I can ask Nico, but I don't think he knows either. The best we can do is watch and listen."

"Well do you know how he's related to Thalia and Nico? If it was like, great grandparents, then he couldn't-" I was cut off by Leo.

"Hey guys, look who's here." We all turned to see Thalia and Nico walking towards us, joking around with some guy. Said guy had messy -but cute- raven black hair and tan skin. He was wearing jeans and a green sweatshirt. He must have been about 5' 11 or so.

"What's up guys?" Thalia greeted us as she, Nico and that guy reached our table. "I'd like you to meet my cousin, Percy!" She confirmed my suspicions as she introduced him. He seemed to be slightly uncomfortable with the stares, but there was an easy-going manner in the smile that stretched curved his lips.

"Uh, hello." His voice was deep, and smooth, the awkward tone easily slipping into a laid back ease.

"So you're the cousin Thalia's been going on and on about. I've been looking forward to meeting you. My name's Hazel. I'm Nico's sister." Hazel introduced gently, sticking out her hand. Percy took it slowly, his smile becoming slightly warmer as he did so.

"It's great to meet you, Hazel. I'm Percy, but based on what you just said, you already knew that." His voice was soft, but had an underlying current of power. "Nico's spoken about you before, he really does think quite highly of you. Great to finally meet you in person!"

Hazel smiled up at Percy, her warmth easing the awkwardness. Her gold eyes sparked with an approval, obviously liking this guy from the start. "This is Frank, my boyfriend, Piper, Jason, Leo and Annabeth." She introduced us one by one, slowly gesturing to us respectively. I saw a spark of recognition when Percy's gaze rested on Jason. I was going to make polite eyes contact when I was introduced, but instead was immediately sucked into his eyes. Green and slight traces of blue swirled around, catching the light. A story seemed to play out behind the vibrant iris's, but I quickly looked away, embarrassed by the prolonged contact. As I had turned, I was a little shocked to see how full of sadness and pain there was being portrayed in the story, but it was gone before I could really analyze it all. So fast, in fact, that I started to question if it had actually even been there to begin with. He offered a warm smile to everyone he greeted. It was soft and kind, yet at the same time there was something underneath the smile. Something different from the gentle surface.

Before I could stop myself, I caught his eye once more, unable to break the contact with the vivid eyes. There was just something so breath-taking about them.

"Annabeth!" I was snapped out of my trance by Thalia's loud voice.

"I swiftly broke eye contact, swiveling my gaze to my best friend. "What?"

"Are you going to say hi, or just keep on staring at Percy's eyes?" She asked, smirking slightly at the end.

Blood rushed to my cheeks a bit too quickly for my liking as I nervously shifted. "I wasn't staring" I defended. "I was merely trying to…" I trailed off, quite aware that I was fighting a losing battle. Mortification set in as I realized the everyone's attention was on us.

"Uh-huh. I think Annie's in lo-" I jabbed Thalia in the ribs before she could finish her sentence. The rest of the table laughed at our antics, including Percy who was seated in between Thalia and Frank. His laugh carried across the table, almost like the breeze wanted to carry it. I was almost to embarrassed to realize that Percy was blushing just as much as I was. Almost.

"So, Percy. How are you liking New York City?" Jason's ever-lasting reservoir of politeness kicked in as he sparked a conversation. "I'm also your cousin by the way." The boy added sheepishly, offering a small grin.

"Yeah, I could guess. You and Thalia have the same eyes and the authority. It's great to meet you in person as well." Percy's smile brightened slightly. Silently, I congratulated Percy on his observation skills. "New York City's really cool. There are some really cool buildings, and a hot-dog stands on like, every street." Leo saluted at that.

"It also has a lot of skateboard parks." Thalia and Frank grinned at that one.

"Where are you staying?" Piper asked conversationally, as she quietly twirled her pasta.

"I'm staying at the Bramford."*****

"Um.. dude, isn't that place like... I don't know haunted or something?" Leo asked with a raised eyebrow from across the table.

"Supposedly if you believe in that type of stuff. It has good rent though, really cheap." Percy replied nonchalantly eating his pizza.

Thalia sent him a concerned glance, "Perce, that place has had some pretty horrific stuff done inside it's walls."

"Yeah, not to mention that there was a murderer supposedly staying there last week. Police don't even know if he's out yet." Frank chipped in.

I was about to roll my eyes at the notion that my friends were believing some old movie, but I quickly restrained myself at the news of the murderer. There was truth to that particular story.

"Plus, that place reeks of death. Some are pretty recent, too!" Nico had stated easily before his eyes widened at what he had just said. A look of panic briefly passed on his face before he schooled his features into a less incriminating expression.

I shot him a glare, as did the rest of the table. My attention returned to Percy, trying desperately to think of a cover up while still processing his thought process to the best of my ability.

"Hold on, you can smell death?" Percy asked, leaning forward towards Nico. An unidentified light sparked in his eyes, probably suspicion.

"No, what? Of course not! That's impossible!" Nico tried to cover up his mistake, a nervous edge blundering itself into his voice.

"What Nico means by 'reeks' is that it has a very depressing history. Nico's weird and sorta emo, don't pay attention to him when he gets like this." I smoothly stepped in, trying my best to take the attention off of Nico.

Percy leaned back in his chair, regarding us with a slightly raised eyebrow. "If you say so, I guess." He didn't sound very convinced, but let the subject drop.

"So Percy, what's your schedule?" Piper asked, using her charm speak to clear the air of suspicion she must've felt coming from Percy.

_Good idea, Mclean._ I thought, before focusing my attention on the newcomer once again.

* * *

I stumbled out of of school, my bad forcing me to walk slightly off balanced. My intention was to start my homeword during my free period under my little tree at the back of the school yard. There wasn't a lot of room in New York, so they had their courts on a platform resting on a roof. There was a small tree, just a bit of green in the city of metal that always let me clear my mind. My free periods were spent as less as a 'free' period and more of a study hall. As I turned the corner, I could see a lone figure already seated underneath the tree.

_Unusual._ I thought as I approached the figure. Not many people had gone back there, all getting to caught up in games and competitions before they even thought to go farther. The figure was reading, one hand writing on a sheet of paper while the other traced lines in the book. As I came closer, I recognized the figure as Percy. He was sitting cross-legged with a pile of books to his left. His head was bent over a page of math problems, his hair raven falling into his eyes.

Percy had not noticed me yet, so I took that opportunity to really look at him. His hair was a dark, shiny black, a little longer than Jason and Frank's military cuts, but not quite as wild as Leo's hair. (Even though it was still pretty messy.) His skin was tanner than I had first thought, a nice sea tan. Just when I had started thinking of his eyes for the millionth time that day, he glanced up from his book.

"Oh hi, Annabeth. What's up?" His voice showed a small amount of surprise, but it was welcoming all the same.

"Um, hey, Percy. I was just coming here to do my homework." I explained, uncharacteristically awkward when being addressed. Small butterflies started to flutter in my stomach, making me nervously shift.

"Oh, did I take your spot? I'm sorry, I didn't know you usually came here." Percy smiled apologetically as he started to gather up his things. "I'll be on my wa-"

"Oh no," I let out a small laugh at his expression. "I didn't mean it that way. Actually, I was wondering if I could join you." I said quickly. He looked up at me with a quizzical expression.

"Join me doing homework?" He cracked a goofy smile I had only seen when he was with his cousins. "Sure, why not? I could use some company." I returned his smile and walked over to where he was sitting.

"So what homework do you have?" He asked politely as we settled back down to work. Percy flipped through some pages in his math book as he spoke, a breeze flicking his hair back and forth.

"Math, Language Arts, Greek and History." My reply was weighted by joking despair as I gazed over my gigantic stack of books. "What do you have?"

"Language Arts, Greek, Math, Biology, History and some make-up work to help me catch up." Percy looked despondently down at his homework as if it had personally insulted him.

I couldn't help the smile that crept onto my face as his face contorted to a pout. "Don't worry, it'll get easier once you adjust and get caught up." I assured him as he continued his stare down with his paper.

He cracked a grin, finally glancing up as he simply replied, "Thanks."

We spent the rest of our time working on our homework in a comfortable silence. It was quite peaceful, working out in the early spring air, even if it was city air. I didn't feel any pressure to fill in every moment with pointless chatter, or the need to monitor my expressions. There was just something different about Percy. I wasn't sure if it was his calm, gentle yet powerful demeanor. Or the fact that he wasn't trying to get attention like every other sophomore. (Including most of my demigod friends) He was simply a restful, gentle, undemanding person.

"So, do you like coming here?" I inquired, indicating the little tree and table we sat around. Immediately I inwardly cringed at my question. It wasn't like he had that much to compare it to. Thankfully Percy didn't notice anything weird in my question, and if he did he didn't comment.

"Yeah, it's nice. Really peaceful. If you don't mind me barging onto your turf, I'd like to do my homework here more often." Percy replied as he shot a questioning glance at me. There was nothing unkind about his glance, just curiosity and maybe something more.

"Of course! It's not like it's my tree." I replied, a laugh in my voice. For some reason my heart fluttered when I thought of spending more time with Percy. Odd.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for reading my story, I promise to post as much as I can. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any characters from it, all rights belong to Rick Riordan**

**Annabeth's POV**

"Hey, Thalia?" I had to scream over the loud music that filled the car. Honestly, did she _want_ to go deaf? Thankfully I normally didn't have to hitch a ride with under-age drivers, but since I had Architecture Club after school on Mondays I had to get a ride home somehow. Don't ask how Thalia got a car, it's a long, strange story that includes a sales person, the Mist and Thalia's weapon, Aegis.

"What?" She gave me a quick glance before her eyes settled on the road again. _Smart move, I do want to live long enough to get home._

"I just wanted to ask a question about Percy." I could see her snort.

"Ask away, though I'm warning you, I don't know a whole lot."

"Could you turn down the music for a second? It's hard to talk over it!" She sighed but did as I asked. _Oh good, now I can hear myself think._

"What is it?"

"Well, what do you know about Percy?" I asked, trying to glean as much information about him as I could. I didn't know why exactly, but I wanted to know as much about him as I could. I wanted to understand him and get to know him. I watched as Thalia grimaced.

"Not as much as a cousin _should _know." Her voice held a distinct, bitter edge. She sighed."He was born in New York City, actually. But his mom moved to Rhode Island after a few years of fighting with her husband, Gabe Ugliono."

"Is that Percy's father?"

"No, Percy was sired by someone high up there, if you know what I mean." Thalia sighed, she seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "Anyway, Percy's sire ran off and was apparently "lost at sea". Sally, Percy's mother, married Gabe when Percy was really young. Who knows why, that man is a pig." Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "After a few years of fighting with Gabe, Sally took Percy and moved to Rhode Island and since they couldn't afford a divorce they were still technically married. Percy and Sally were happy up there."

"Why did he move back if he was happy in Rhode Island, then?" _Not that I'm complaining..._ "Is he staying with Sally?" For the first time during this conversation, Thalia looked pained.

"No he isn't staying with his mom. Sally was getting more and more depressed over the years. I don't know why, the few times I met her she was always full of life and love." Thalia's grip tightened on the steering wheel. "She was driving a little crazy one night, like 125 mph crazy." I cringed a little at the thought. "Percy, thank the gods, wasn't in the car with her at the time, so he was alone when Sally and another car crashed. She died on impact, while the other driver only received a couple cuts and bruises. As I mentioned before, Gabe and Sally were still married, so Percy was sent to live with that pig."

"But he only moved here recently, right?" I asked, thinking about how he just started school today.

"Actually, no. Percy has been living with Gabe for the past few years, he just went to boarding schools and such. Neither Gabe or Percy, every really liked the other, it was always better to keep them apart. That's why Gabe sent Percy away to different schools."

"Oh, why didn't you tell me Percy has been living in NYC for the past few years?" I watched as Thalia's pained face became even more pained.

"I didn't know. Percy just told me he was transferring to Goode last Friday." Her voice was quiet, almost a whisper.

"I'm sure he had his reasons." I tried to reassure her. The car stopped and I looked up to see my apartment building. I got out.

"Thanks for the ride. And," I paused. "Thanks, for telling me about Percy, Thals." Her pained expression turned back to her usual smirk that basically yelled, "I am a Punk. Mess with me and you will spend a week in the hospital"

"No problem, Annie." She said as she pulled out into the street. She waved good-bye then sped off to her own apartment. I turned back to my apartment with a sigh, _when am I going to understand Percy?_

_Line Break

"ANNABETH!" Matthew's, one of my little brothers, voice echoed up the stairs to my bedroom. "DADDY SAID IT WAS TIME FOR DINNER!"

"OKAY! I'LL BE DOWN IN A SECOND!" I yelled back. I neatly stacked my textbooks on top of each other on my desk, I hated messes. I quickly shuffled my papers into order, then walked down the stairs to the kitchen.

"Hello, Annabeth. Dinner's on the table, wash up and then we can eat." My stepmom said from the kitchen. You see my stepmom and I haven't had the greatest history, she didn't like the fact that I could quite literally attract monsters to our front door. **(Annabeth did not run away this time)**My dad stood up for me, and in a few months she learned to accept it. We aren't exactly best friends, not even eight years later, but we are making progress.

"Okay." _Keep it short and sweet, then there will be less of a chance of a fight._

"ANNIE!" Bobby and Matthew come running towards me. I ginned at them and bent down to give them a hug. No matter how annoying they are, I love my little brothers. "Come in the dining room so we can eat, I'm starving!" Matthew exclaimed turning around and leading me by the hand to the dining room.

The bowls of food were passed around. I looked down at my plate of beef, salad, grilled asparagus and gravy before digging into my food. As we ate we discussed light subjects. Matthew and Bobby told us of their adventure on their playground at the elementary school, dad talked about his job and new things he want's to try out. I wasn't really paying attention to the topics until my dad asked me a question.

"Hey, Annabeth. I heard that Goode had a new student who's also a sophomore. Have you met him?" Everyone at the table turned to look at me.

"Yeah, I did. His name's Percy. He's actually Thalia and Nico's cousin. Which would make him also Hazel and Jason's cousin as well." I added as an after thought.

"What's he like?" Bobby asked from the seat to my left.

"Well he's quite gentle and from what I could tell, very kind and good-spirited."

"That's good, we need a few respectable men in the world today." My stepmom said from across the table. I smiled at her.

"Yeah, Percy's a good guy."

_Line Break

Right before I fell asleep that night I had one thought. _I will figure out who Percy is._

_Line Break **Percy's POV**

Walking home was like marching to your death. For me at least. Anyone else, anyone _normal_ would open their front door, hug there loving parents and eat a snack when they got home. If you're one of those kids, don't take it for granted. You get to live in a comfortable home, with parents who love you and make you dinner every night. Parents who tuck you in, and whisper, 'Goodnight, I love you', before you fall asleep. Parents who make sure your safe and sound before themselves, parents who would give their lives up to save you. I smiled as I walked home through dirty alley ways. _  
_

I look up at Bramford. Yeah, Bramford. Let me say this once, it is not haunted! That film, Rosemary's Baby, or something like that, gave it a bad name. It was a film! I swear to the gods, it is not haunted! Oh yeah, gods. You see I'm a demigod, half Greek god, half human. Yippe. Demigod's lives are never good. We always end up dying in some gruesome way. Of course being the son of Poseidon, one of the big three, isn't helping my case. My 'scent' is much stronger than regular demigods, so I attract more monsters. Then again, monsters aren't my biggest worries when it comes to survival. Gabe is.

I shook my head to get rid of those thoughts. I didn't need those kind of things in my head, not when I'm about to face him and his poker buddies in the next few minutes anyway. I took a deep breath, _you can do this_, and opened the door. I walked up the stairs to my apartment, ready for the beating to begin.

"Hey, punk." An all to familiar voice rang out from the living room. I looked up from the floor to where Gabe was sitting by the poker table. He had four other 'people' (_more like walruses) _were sitting around the poker table, drinking bear and smoking cigarettes. Disgusting. "Got money?" I shook my head, it's better to not say anything unless you have to. Gabe's eyes narrowed. He leaned over to his friend, Eddie. Gabe whispered something to Eddie that gave Eddie an odd gleam. Well it would be odd to anyone else, not me. I knew what that meant. As soon as I saw two of Gabe's friends get up and walk towards me, I knew I was going to get a beating. This was pretty normal, but I still wasn't used to five people beating me. I stepped back, trying in vain to run past them to my room. I knew it was useless, but I had to try.

"Gabe, please don't. I swear I don't have any money!" I begged.

"Well, punk, you're out o' luck. I need 15 bucks to play, and I ain't got no 15 bucks." His beady eyes narrowed at me. "If you got no money, then you aren't any use to me, are ya?"

"I make minimum wage at a candy store, of course I don't have an extra 15 dollars! I spend all my money paying rent and getting food for you!" I blurted out. I mentally slapped myself, _never talk back. _

Gabe's eyes sparked with anger. He laughed cruelly, making me shudder. I know, I know, I'm a demigod, I'm not supposed to be afraid of a mortal. Well guess what, I am! I don't know why, but the fact that he killed my mother in cold blood probably isn't helping my case. "Punk, you just made a big mistake." He said, slurring his speech. He laughed again and his buddies rushed towards me, pinning my arms down. _Please God, help me._


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again. This is fun. To clear something up, that could be misunderstood, Percy knows he's a demigod, but doesn't know his cousins or friends are. Annabeth and her friends know they are demigods, but don't know Percy is. Percy is also abused, if you haven't figured that out yet. Ok, so that's it. Everyone is pretty much the same age, and they're all sophomores. Done!**

**Annabeth's**** POV**

Tuesday was just like Monday. Sort of. I still got up at the same time, rode the same bus to school and turned in homework. But things got a little more interesting at lunch, the first time I would see Percy. I still hadn't gotten over the fact that I was so intrigued by him when I had only known him for a day. I didn't know if it was because of the sadness and pain lingering just below the surface of his beautiful green eyes, or the way he would talk so softly it was like he was trying not to be heard. It was like he was trying to go unnoticed, which didn't really work since he had the body of an avid swimmer, the tan of a sea man, the hair of a raven's feathers, the smile of an angel, and the personality of well, Percy. He was sometimes shy, but I could see some humor and sarcasm peak through his calm, quiet demeanor. Today at lunch is a good example.

"Dude, are you like, half fish? How can you be so freaking fast?" Leo asked Percy from across the table. Percy got a weird look in his eyes for a second, but then it was gone. _Styx, why can't I see what it is? _I thought, trying again to decipher Percy's alien expressions.

"Who is half fish?" Nico asked walking to our table with a lunch tray. He sat down and look at us weirdly.

"That guy!" Leo pointed his index finger to Percy. "He's got like, superhuman speed in the water. One second he's jumping in, the next he's on the other side of the pool." Piper smacked Leo's hand away from Percy, muttering how rude it was to point.

Percy cracked a smile."Hey, it's not my fault that I swam in the ocean almost everyday when I lived in Rhode Island." He smirked for the first time. "Plus I don't spend al my time looking at blueprints."

"Yeah, but not even like, an Olympic athlete can probably beat you!" Leo exclaimed.

Percy calming took a bite out of a small granola bar he brought for lunch. "I doubt that." Jason looked like he was about to ask a question, but was interrupted by Piper.

"Oh joy, here comes Reyna." I rolled my eyes, Piper and Reyna had been having a fight over the years about who gets Jason. Not to be rude or anything, but I honestly don't know why they fought so hard for him. They were almost drawing blood. Jason, in the end, chose Piper (good choice) over Reyna. There is still some left over tension between Reyna and Piper, but it has diminished... slightly.

"Who?" _Of course, Percy has never seen Reyna before. She was at a doctors appointment yesterday._ The rest of the table seemed to be realizing the same thing.

"Oh sorry, Perce! I totally forgot to tell you about Reyna." Thalia said. "Reyna is that girl with a purple shirt on. She's really cool, but don't get on her bad side. She's even worse than me sometimes." Percy's eyes widened slightly at that.

As Reyna made her way over to us her eyes landed on Percy. She had a quizzical look on her face, but there was something underneath it, too. I couldn't exactly tell what it was, _Man I'm losing my touch._

"Hello, guys." Reyna greeted us as she reached our table and sat down in an empty chair between Frank and Thalia. We responded with waves and smiles.(In Piper's case a stony stare.) Reyna turned to Percy who looked uncomfortable."Hello, my name's Reyna." She raised her hand. Percy took it and shook it gently. I got this weird stab of emotion in my gut when Reyna kept his hand for a second longer, before letting it drop. _What was that?_

"I'm Percy."

"Are you new here?" She asked. I didn't know about anyone else, but that line sounded _dangerously _close to, 'Do you come here often?'

Percy nodded, his dark hair falling into his eyes."I just started yesterday."

"Where you from?" _Hello! Personal question!_ I thought with a frustration I didn't understand.

"I'm from Rhode Island."

"Why did you move her-" Reyna was cut short by Thalia.

"Relax, Reyna, we already went through the interrogation process."

"I was just curious."

"Percy will tell you if he wants to, he shouldn't feel pressured into answering you." I said, surprising myself with my force.

"It's okay, guys." Percy said looking at all of us like ticking bombs.(Well okay, Reyna, Thalia and me) "I moved here because my mom died. I had no where else to go besides Ga-.. er my stepfather's place here in NYC." _I wonder why he stumbled over the word 'stepfather'._

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Reyna said, a little too much emotion in her voice. She reached her hand out, but he just smiled and waved her off.

"It's fine, she's in a better place now." He explained simply. An awkward silence fell over the table until Leo yelled out.

"Stupid sandwich toothpick!" He started yelling in Spanish.**(Not trying to be racist, it said in the books that Leo switched to Spanish sometimes when he got upset)** I'm not to fluent in it so all I heard was, Styx, stupid, pointless and something that would probably offend all toothpicks across the nation.

"Calm down, Leo!" Percy, the first to get out of the awkward tension, laughed. "It's just a toothpick!"

"Toothpick's can be deadly, man!"

Percy laughed again, then smirked a little."Only if you're unobservant enough." Leo smirked back and did the 'I'm watching you' gesture. Percy just smiled innocently.

"Hey, so what do you have nest, Perce?" Thalia asked.

"Um... looks like Greek. I just got transferred into core class 7. Why?" _I'm in Core 7... cool._

"Oh just wondering if we had the same class. I have Math." Thalia grinned at Percy. "But tomorrow all of us will have gym together at last period. I had Coach Hedge is going to allow us a free capture the flag game." She smirked evilly, as did everyone else at the table. Percy seemed a little confused as to why we all loved Capture the Flag so much. If you didn't go to Camp Half-Blood you probably wouldn't get it. You see at camp, Capture the Flag is a big event, all the cabins compete against each other. I always loved thinking up new strategies to kick the other team's butt. Athena always wins.

"Do you all like Capture the Flag?" Percy asked.

"Yeah, we actually all go to this summer camp. Capture the Flag is a really big deal there." Nico said, then slapped his hand over his mouth, again. Everyone was fully glaring at him. He smiled weakly. _Great job, Nico! Now he's going to ask questions about Camp Half Blood! Gods, why is he screwing up so much?!_

"You all go to the same summer camp? Cool. What's the name?" Percy asked.

"Um.. it's name? Oh yeah it, uh, it does have a name!" Nico said, his voice acting weirdly."It's called.. uh..."

"It's called Half Blood Hill. It's our basically our summer home!" Thalia finished. **(The Lightning Thief, pg. 24, Grover's Card.)**

"Really?" We all could detect the unbelieving edge in Percy's angelic voice. _Wait, angelic? What the Styx? _"Where is the camp? I might've heard of it. I used to jump around from place to place a lot."

"Oh.. we..-" Thalia cut Nico off again.

"It's actually in Rhode Island." We all looked at her in astonishment, shocked that she would give away the real location. Percy's eyebrows rose again. Thalia just ignored the looks she was getting.

"Cool. Is it like, a sleep away camp?"

"Yeah." Piper said."We all stay for the summer, then some of us go home. The um... richer," I knew she was referring to more powerful demigods when she said, richer. "-campers stay all year round if they want."

"Really? That's pretty cool."

"So Percy, what camps did you go to?" I asked, trying to switch the subject. The table looked at me gratefully.

"Too many to count. I met some pretty cool people, though."

"Like who?" I was surprised how much I wanted to know about Percy's past.

"Um.. well I met this one kid, Grover when I was twelve. He was pretty cool, always had a thing for the environment so we got along pretty well since I love the ocean. After we met we just sorta stuck together. We always went to the same camp." Percy finished.

"That's cool." Jason said. "Where is Grover now?"

Percy got a far away look in his green eyes. "Back in Rhode Island." We all lapsed into silence until Percy broke it. "Well sorry, but I gotta go to Greek, I don't want to be late!" He smiled a sad smile, got up and walked away. As soon as he was out of sight Reyna turned on Nico.

"What the Hades, Nico?"**(Or Pluto, since Reyna is roman. I just thought Hades sounded better, but you can choose)**

"I'm sorry! I don't know why I'm messing up so much!"

"Well you better figure it out soon, because Percy's not dumb!" Thalia exclaimed. "He'll figure somethings up soon enough. If he hasn't already of course!"

"I'm sorry! I'll do better, I just... I don't know." Nico looked down, ashamed. Thalia huffed while Reyna kept her stony mask on.

"Guys, I know it was pretty bad, but Nico tried. Stoop beating down on him." Hazel came to his rescue like the good sister she is. "We all make mistakes, we'll just have to be extra careful." Nico looked at her gratefully. Frank was looking down at Hazel with an expression of pride on his face. She smiled lovingly back up at him and quickly pecked him on the lips.

"Hazel's right. We can't blow up on Nico whenever he makes a mistake." Piper supported. Jason gazed at Piper with a similar expression as Frank. _Those two couples are just meant to be._

"Okay, okay." Thalia looked a little sheepishly at Nico. "Sorry, cuz." Reyna's mask softened, but she didn't offer an apology. _No wonder Jason likes Piper instead of her._

"Well I'd love to stick around and enjoy the apology festival, but I got mechanics next. So see ya guys later!" Leo stood and jogged off with his lunch tray under his arm.

"I'd better go, too. I have Greek." I said standing and walking off to class. _Hmm... Greek with Percy._

_Line Break~

I got to class five minutes early. Percy was standing at the front of the room going over something with the teacher. I thanked the gods for Percy being transfered into my class. Now I have Greek, Gym, Art and Music with him. I walked to my seat in the middle row and plop my books down. There isn't anyone else in the class room besides the teacher, Percy and me.

"Nice work, Percy. These are quite well done!" The teacher, Mrs. Casey, looked over at Percy. "Have you taken Greek before." I was close enough to hear his soft reply.

"No, I just started this year." Mrs. Casey shook her head a little.

"Well you certainly have a natural talent for the Greek language."

"Thank you, Mrs. Casey."

"Let's see, now." Mrs. Casey straightened out the stack of papers Percy had given her early. "Why don't you sit over there, in front of Annabeth?" She said pointing to the seat. Percy smiled and nodded before picking up his book bag and sitting in the seat. I looked at the clock, it was still three minutes before seventh period started. Percy turned around, locking my gaze with his green eyes.

"Hi, Annabeth."

"Hello, Percy. You got transfered to this class?" I asked, then mentally smacked myself for about the fourth time in two days. _Of course he transfered to this class!_

Percy nodded his head. "I had to change my math class, I was a little to behind in it."

"Oh." Was my genius answer. _Gods, am I really a child of Athena?_

"So, Annabeth, do you have a nickname? It's a very beautiful name, of course." He explained. I felt myself blush a little at his compliment. "I was just curious."

I sighed a little. "Yeah. Some people call me _Annie._ The problem is is that I hate that name." He grinned.

"So what's a nickname you _do_ like?"

I thought about it for a second._ What could Annabeth be shortened to? Annie? Anna? Beth? Na?_ Yeah, no. I shook my head. "I don't really go by anything besides Annabeth. What about you, Percy?"

"Well actually 'Percy' is already a nickname of sorts. My real name is Perseus." He explained. "But Nico and Thalia sometimes call me 'Perce'."

"Do you like 'Perce'?"

"Not really, it makes me sound like a woman's handbag." I laughed a little at that.

"Well, Percy, you can't really shorten 'Annabeth' into anything I like. I really hate the name Anna, Annie and Beth."

"But what is it wasn't shortened? What if we-" Percy was cut off by the bell. He turned around as Mrs. Casey called attention. _Wow, I didn't even notice the room filling up. _

All through Greek I stared at the back of Percy's head. Creepy? Yeah, very. But I couldn't help it. There was just some connection I felt to him.

_Line Break~

_What am I doing? Am I trying to be a stalker? This is so incredibly stalkerish of me. Styx, I didn't know there was a side of me like this!_ My thoughts whirled around in my head like a hurricane as I stared at the screen on my computer. After a boring bus ride home and one hour of doing homework I finally let my curiosity win. I needed to know more about Percy! I didn't even know his last name! I had accidently spotted Percy now and again during school. Always with his eyes cast downward, oblivious to the stares he was getting from the girls. Hades, I saw freaking Drew go up to him in an attempt to get his attention. He didn't even say more than three sentences to her! And she's a freaking daughter of Aphrodite! Turns out that Reyna isn't the only one interested in Percy. I heaved a huge sigh. _Okay, Annabeth. Calm down, straighten out your thoughts. I have this weird stab of emotion whenever I see a girl try to flirt with Percy. I want to know more about Percy. I am being a freaking stalker and trying to find him online. I want to know his back story so much. I think Thalia is right. The way my heart flutters when I lock eyes with him. The way I blush at the slightest compliment he gives me. I think I'm in lo-_ I snapped myself out of my train of thought. _Okay, before all of my common sense leaves me, I need to find out what I was searching for._ My eyes scanned the search engine bar.

"Percy, lived in Rhode Island, mother died in car crash..." I typed anything I knew about him in the search engine. _Lives with stepfather: Gabe Ugliono, best friend is Grover... _I just hoped I would find a match, a link to the Percy I know somewhere online. After a few minutes of just typing random things I knew into the bar I hit 'search'.

The first thing that comes up is a book about _the_ Perseus. Nope. The second link is about a state championship swim team in Rhode Island. That peaked my interest and I clicked on it. The first thing I saw was an old newspaper article with the name Jackson on the front. As I scrolled down I read that the article was on a final swim meet thing. I wasn't to big on swimming, but I knew that it was basically a big competition. Reading on I heard the same name being said over and over again. 'Jackson' was apparently a big pro at this, one every race he competed in. Too bad they never gave his first name. I sighed as I clicked on the next link.

After five minutes of scanning through impersonal clips and article about swimming, I finally came upon a link that looked promising. The first thing I saw after I clicked on the link was a picture. It was of two people, a woman in her thirties and a young boy about the age of five standing in front of an old-looking cabin. The cabin itself looked old, but sturdy, facing the sea. The woman looked proud and happy, with a smile on her face. Her soft brown hair was pulled into a ponytail revealing a kind, loving face. She had her right hand resting on the little boy's shoulder. The little boy had familiar black hair with a shiny edge to it. His smile was happy and carefree. His eyes were familiar too, the color of the sea. Percy. I quickly read the page. It was an old newspaper article on how Percy and his mom bought a cabin near Long Island at Montaulk.**(I don't believe it's spelled correctly)** Percy Jackson. It fit. I smiled, finally I at least know his last name. With that in mind I quickly went back to the search engine and typed in, "Percy Jackson".

Long after my usual bed time, I was still reading about Percy. From what I could tell he was quite a trouble maker. It was a little hard to believe at first, I mean, quiet, gentle Percy, a trouble maker? However after a few links on how Percy has destroyed schools in the past, I was convinced enough. But it didn't make sense. How could the Percy who always walked down the hall with his head down, who worked almost as hard as me in his studies, who spoke so softly it was like he was trying not to be heard at all, be the Percy I was reading about? That Percy was captain of the elite swim team, _that_ Percy got kicked out of every school he went to, _that_ Percy was known as school prankster and smart-Alec. How could they possibly be the same person? The only thing that matched was his appearance, his best friend Grover and his story.

_What could've changed Percy so dramatically in only a few years? _I thought as I finally put my computer away and climbed into bed. _What happened to Percy after his mom died? It must've been big for the Percy I read about to turn into the Percy I know in such a short time. The only thing present Percy and Past Percy share is a story, appearance and a best friend. Wait! _My eyes snapped open. _A best friend! Of course! Grover! He would know Percy the best beside Thalia and Nico. Oh my gods! Why was I so stupid before?! If I want to know about Percy's change, then Thalia and Nico must be at least interested! I could ask Thalia and Nico for help! We could find Grover and try to piece it together! _I fell asleep thinking of ways to get Thalia and Nico to agree to helping me find Grover and uncover Percy's hidden, complicated past. _I will figure this out, Percy Jackson!_

**~~~~~ Author's Note**

**Hello again. I know things have been pretty boring so far, but I needed to set up the stage. The action will start soon enough once they find Grover. A stage is very important, without one, there'd be no show.**

**Thank you, review if you'd like, but you don't have to. I will be posting as soon as I can. Have fun and take it easy! U got 2 get down 2 get up!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you for reviewing! I definitely will, thanks for the encouragement! Any way I forgot the disclaimer last chapter so I will be doing that now as well as the one for this chapter. By the way, JRezaei, thanks.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson, all rights go to Rick Riordan. (and just to be safe I'm doing another one for my last chapter)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson, all rights go to Rick Riordan.**

**Thank you for reading, U got 2 get down 2 get up**

**Thalia's POV**

_Percy's changed so much! What happened to that boy with a sparkle in his eyes? What happened to his proud posture? What happened to his self-confident smile? What happened to his funny, sarcastic nature? What happened to the boy I knew? Sure he looks the same, black hair, green eyes, but what happened to him on the inside? What happened to my cousin?_ I looked over at Percy from across the lunch table. He had a soft grin on his face, like he was afraid of smiling. He would laugh occasionally, but it was always strained and forced. The worst part is is that no one else seemed to notice his change, except for maybe Nico. Hazel and Jason didn't know him as well so they would assume he was always like this. _But he wasn't._ The thought keeps coming back to me.

"So Percy, I guess we all have gym together at ninth period, huh?" Jason stated.

Percy nodded his head. "I suppose we do."

"Prepare to meet the power of the Leo!" Leo said dramatically.

Percy cracked a smile, and just for one second, I could see a glimpse of the old smirk he used to wear. "Oh, you bet I will." He raised his eyebrows slightly. I almost caught my breath, there is the Percy I know! However _that_ Percy was gone in a flash, replaced by this new one. I sighed. I missed the old Percy.

Five minutes into lunch Annabeth leaned over to me. "Hey, Thalia, can I talk to you for a minute?" I looked at her quizzically, but nodded in agreement. She smiled then leaned over to Nico. He nodded as well. We all stood up with some excuse about getting more food or something. Like I cared.

As soon as we were out of sight, Annabeth pulled us behind a bush. She looked behind her, then back at us. _Okay... well this is a little creepy._

"What is it, Annabeth?" My patience finally worn thin.

She turned to look at us. Annabeth took a deep breath. "Guys, have you noticed a change from when you last saw Percy? I mean, face to face?" _Well that was unexpected._

Nico nodded slowly after a minute of silence. I sighed and nodded as well. "Yeah. The last time I saw him face to face was..." I trailed off thinking. _When _was _the last time I saw him? At least three years ago._ "- I think it was three years ago." Nico made a quick nodding motion with his head.

Annabeth took a deep breath again. "Okay, this is going to sound really weird, but I promise I'm not stalking Percy." _What? What is she talking about?_

"What are you talking about?" Nico voiced my thoughts.

"Okay, okay. I might've sorta looked up Percy online." Seeing our faces she quickly explained. "I wasn't trying to stalk him or anything! He just seemed like... I don't know... like he wasn't being real, I guess. Sorta like he was playing up a facade, or something." She trailed off, gauging our reactions to her observation. I don't know how she caught on so quickly, then again she is a daughter of Athena. I glanced over at Nico. He had a thoughtful expression on his face, and he was nodding a little.

"Yeah... he does seem like that. I don't know if you noticed, Thalia, but he seems a little off." Nico turned to look at me.

I sighed. "Yeah, really off. I've been thinking that for the past few days."

"I wish I could figure out what made him change like that." Nico said sadly._  
_

"Yeah, me too." I said. It wasn't until Annabeth cleared her throat a little that I remembered she was there. Both Nico and I looked up at her.

"Um, well, I might have a way we can find out." She scuffed the dirt with the toe of her converse. "When I was searching online, I was thinking about pieces of information that linked the Percy I was reading about, to the Percy I know now. I only found that his backstory is the same, his appearance," She looked at us slyly. "-his cousins and best friend." I sucked in a breath. _Of course, Grover! Why didn't I think of that before?_

"Of course!" Nico and I said in unison.

Annabeth smiled again. "Well, I had this idea." She paused for a second. "We need to be discreet about it, of course. We can't let Percy find out."

"Well tell us!" Nico waved his hands around in the air.

"What if, say, we all wanted to go to camp for a day to get some clothes or something? What if we accidently ran out of gas on the way there, say in Long Island?" I started to grin a little. "And what if we accidently find Percy's old home on Montaulk?"

"And if we accidently run into his best friend, Grover?" Nico asked, grinning from ear to ear. Annabeth nodded with a smile. "Well you can count me in!"

Annabeth turned to me. I grinned, "I could use a road trip."

_Line Break

The rest of the day crawled forwards until I was left with only ninth period. Gym. _Let's see if there's still some of that could old Percy in there._ I thought, watching him come out of the boy's locker room.

"Okay, cupcakes, listen up!" Coach Hedge bellowed in the middle of the gym. We all made a semicircle around him. "We are playing a game of capture the flag. Now I know _some_ of you are quite competitive in this game." He pointedly looks at all the demigods in the room. You see, Coach Hedge is a satyr. Long story short, he never got his searchers license so he was sent here with us demigods to make sure we behaved. For some odd reason Hedge looked over at Percy for a second then looked away with a confused expression. _Odd._ "And as much as I like a good ol' fashioned fight, we do have school rules. So here's the thing, no punches, no kicks, no elbowing or anything like that." He rolled his eyes while he was saying this. "Annabeth and Sloan will be captains. The flag has to be visible at all times. The jails will be on opposite side of the room by the locker doors. If there is a jail break there is _no_ freedom walk. If you want to be safe, then you gotta earn it and not just walkout when someone else does the work. Okay, I think that's all the basics, captains, choose your teams!"

Annabeth and Sloan, the school bully, stood in front of the other students. You could tell that everyone had mixed feelings about the teams. Some people wanted to be with Annabeth because she was the best strategist, while others wanted to be with Sloan because he was a big time jock.

"Sloan, do you want to pick first or should I?" Annabeth turned to look at Sloan.

"I'll pick first. Drew." Annabeth rolled her eyes, the only reason he picked Drew was because he had a crush on her.

"Okay, Jason."

"Jacob."

"Thalia." I smiled and walked over to her side.

"Silena."

"Nico."

"Piper." Sloan smirked once he said Piper's name. I narrowed my eyes at him, while Jason full out glared. Piper looked annoyed that she had to play against us, but she walked over to their side.

"Thalia."

"John."

"Frank."

"Jackson." The name rung out. I was now fully glaring at Sloan. Percy walked slowly over to their side and stood next to Piper who gave him an encouraging smile. Annabeth had also narrowed her eyes like the rest of her team.

"Hazel."

"Josh."

"Leo." They finished calling names.

Coach stepped forward. "Okay, now that that is out of the way, you have three minutes to hide your flag and figure out strategy. Go!" And with that we all huddled together as a group. Our flag was bright red, while the other team had a neon looking blue. We all turned to Annabeth.

"Okay, guys. We got the whole team here, but Sloan snatched Piper and Percy." Jason shot another glare at Sloan. "Calm down, Jason. We'll get our revenge by crushing these guys under foot." Jason smiled at that, as did we all. Let me say this once, _no one_ messes with my friends, especially Sloan. "Okay, so Sloan picked all the jocks, and cheer leaders. We know what to expect from them. The only wild card is Percy, since we know that Piper isn't going to help Sloan at all. I doubt Percy really likes being with Sloan, but he doesn't seem like the type to just surrender without a fight." We all nodded with agreement. "Here's the plan, I'm going to send the fastest and quietest over to their side to find the flag. We're not trying to do this dramatically. Sloan will send the cheerleaders and some of the bigger jocks over here to collect the flag. I bet he and most of the rest of his team will stay on the other side since Sloan likes numbers. We need some of the better fighters to stay here and deal with those dumb cheerleaders and stupid jocks. I'm not too worried about the cheerleaders, but if the jocks are over here then I want some of our stronger fighters here defending the flag. Also if Sloan sends Percy or Piper over here, well I just don't want to take chances." Annabeth took a glance at the clock, two more minutes. "Okay, I want the flag to be put at the top of the bleachers. Frank, Jason and Hazel, you guys protect it. One of you stand on the ground and walk around, pretend to be protecting the flag. If that person sees anyone come within a meter of it, I want them tagged and brought to our jail. The other two will be hiding next to the flag. If someone get up there, tag them and send them straight to jail." They nodded. "Good. Now Leo and Nico. I want you guys to be searching for the flag. You two are the quickest, there for you should be able to stay away from the bigger protecters. Thalia and I will also be looking for the flag. Now incase one of you gets tagged yell. I don't care what, but just make sure others know." Annabeth took a big breath. "Okay, if the unexpected happens, like Sloan sends all his jocks over here, then I want Thalia and Nico to come back and protect the flag with Hazel, Jason and Frank. Leo and I will keep going, looking for the other flag. If something _really _weird happens, like Piper tries to tag you, act on instinct. Okay, that's it. Go team!" We scattered.

You see, most gym capture the flag games would be easy. I mean, hello it's an open gym and everyone can see everything. But Goode spent a fortune on our gym and now ours is a lot bigger than most. It is almost as big as a football field with various obstacles in the middle. Coach can take them off the floor for basketball or something, but they are just usually sitting in the middle of the floor. They create a jungle of ropes, pools, balance beams and nets. Honestly, it's like an obstacle course from camp.

I ran with Annabeth to the side of the gym, while Nico and Leo went to the other side. Hazel, Frank and Jason all went to the back of our side, probably to set up their stations. I spotted Piper in the middle of the floor. She seemed to have been put on offense. I couldn't see Percy, but I'm sure he was somewhere around here.

"Okay, cupcakes, times up! You've got the whole period for this game, so I better so you sweating by the end of this! Now, BEGIN!"

The jocks rushed forward with the cheerleaders like Annabeth said. Piper stayed behind. I could see most of the smaller jocks still hanging around the back of the gym, along with Sloan. Leo and Nico slunk around the side of the room. Piper spotted them and made a half-hearted attempt to catch them. But I couldn't focus on them. I had a job to do. Annabeth and I both ran for the line, tagging people as we went. Normally, in high school games kids cheat. A lot. But with a coach like ours, who has uncannily good eyesight, no one cheats. We played that to our advantage, sending a lot of cursing jocks and pouty cheerleaders to our jail. Sure we didn't get them all, but they had thinned considerably. Annabeth and I dashed over the line and started to run from some of the jocks who were chasing us. We could see Leo and Nico sneaky around further back, still undetected. One look from Annabeth and I knew we were going to play 'distraction'. I sighed, I didn't like that, it was so boring! Then again, we probably were more noticeable then Leo and Nico. Might as well help them out a little more.

"Hey, Sloan! You to slow to catch a couple of girls?" Annabeth yelled. Sloan turned red and ordered Jacob over to wear we were standing. _Idiot._ I smiled.

"Oh is the little baby scared? How bout you try catching us yourself instead of sending others to do your dirty work, huh?" I asked. Sloan took a step forward. I inwardly grinned.

"I could catch a couple of little girls!" He sneered, a step behind Jacob who was making his way to us. "Josh, stay put. We're going to teach them a lesson." Josh nodded and turned around looking out for any other players. _Well I guess he isn't a complete moron. _Jacob and Sloan started to chase after us, they were incredibly slow. I actually laughed at their attempt.

"Thalia, focus. We still need to get Josh away from the flag."

I nodded. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well," We jumped over a balance beam still at the same pace. "Nico and Leo are still over there. And how many people do we need to get the flag over to our side?"

I smiled. "One."

"Exactly, if we get Nico to distract Josh long enough for Leo to steal the flag, then we're set." She had a thoughtful look on her face for a second. "Reyna could've been helpful right now."

"Yeah, to bad she had to go back to Camp Jupiter so suddenly." Annabeth looked like she was about to say something but then we were interrupted by Sloan.

"Come back here!" He was red in the face and gasping for breath. _Ha, sucker._

"What? Having trouble catching a couple of 'little girls'?" I asked, slowing down a little.

Annabeth looked at me, "Come on, if we some how get Josh to join in the chase without having to get Nico to help, then we'd have all the more chance. I still haven't seen Percy once, and that is starting to worry me." _Oh yeah, I haven't seen Percy either. Oh oh. If he's anything like the athlete I knew, then we're in trouble if we don't get this flag fast._

"Yeah, let's get Josh's attention too. We need to hurry, because if I remember correctly, Percy is one heck of an athlete." I notified Annabeth. She nodded and we headed back to wear Josh was standing.

Unfortunately things were not going as smoothly as hoped. When we got back to Josh, leaving Sloan and Jacob in the dust, we found Leo screaming something about underpants and running around like a chicken without it's head. _Wow, Josh is now the smartest jock I know. _I thought as I saw Josh not even trying to catch Leo. Instead he was focusing on keeping Nico away from the flag.

Annabeth snorted, "He's smarter than we gave him credit." I nodded. "Okay, so we need to get Josh away so one of us can get the flag."

"If you haven't noticed, Annabeth, Leo is already trying. And if Leo's insults can't get his attention, then I don't know what can." I said, watching Leo try another joke only to be met with silence.

"Oh, Thalia. He may be focused, but he is still a boy. And what do boys have?" I looked over at Annabeth with raised eyebrows.

"Excuse me? We aren't in health class, Annie."

Annabeth turned red, "I didn't me it like that! I meant that no matter how much he wants to suck up to Sloan, he still has hormones!"

"Okay, so what do you purpose?"

"I say that I'll go up to him and do whatever it takes to distract him, then you run in and steal the flag. If he gets in your war, hand it off to Nico and tackle him head on. I wouldn't normally volunteer for that kind of stuff, but I really want to win this game and you," She looked at me with amusement, "would probably deck him before he could come within a meter." _That is true, I do seriously hate boys. Except for my friends of course... though Nico is on boarder line right now._

"Okay, Annabeth, let's do this fast. I want to rub it in their faces."

_Line Break

"Hey, Josh." Annabeth walked up to Josh really slowly while I hid behind a bleacher. Nico had disappeared somewhere and Leo was still screaming at the top of his lungs. Who knew what he was saying, he switched to Spanish halfway through the game. **(Again, not trying to be racist, it says it in the** **books) **I wasn't sure where Sloan and Jacob were, but at that point I didn't really care.

"Oh hi Annabeth." Josh was still watching for Nico, but it was clear that Annabeth had his attention.

"So, Josh, Sloan set you up on defense?" Annabeth batted her eyelashes, while I was almost hurling. "_Wow._ You must be, like, really good!"

"I'd say so." He said with a cocky smile, obviously forgetting that Annabeth is on the opposing team. _Idiot._

"Well I just did." She giggled. "So if I told you that I had no plans for the weekend, what would you say?"

Josh was now completely focused on Annabeth. He didn't even notice me sneaking around behind him and reaching for the flag. "Well I'd say I would pick you up at seven."

Annabeth giggled again, slowly walking back while Josh followed. "And I'd say..." I grabbed the flag and snuck back through the bleachers. I gave Annabeth the thumbs up sign. She smiled then looked back at Josh.

"What would you say?" Josh asked, still unaware that I was a good yard away, with his team's flag I might add.

"I'd say, GO THALIA!" She turned around and sprinted towards the line. I was already sprinting. _10 yards, 8 yards, 5 yards, 3 yards, 1 more!_ I looked up to see Percy also running towards the line, our bright red flag clasped in his hand. _How in Hades? _I turned to look at Annabeth, her mouth was agape. She snapped it shut and shouted for me to run faster.

As I shot to the line I saw Percy a step ahead of me. _NO!_ Then suddenly Percy was on the floor. No one had touched him or anything. He was just laying on the floor, stock still. I skidded to a stop.

"Percy?" I asked, my voice shaking. He didn't respond. "Percy!" I was suddenly kneeling next to him, the flag was tossed aside.

"Percy, are you okay?" Nico asked as he kneeled down next to me. Jason, Hazel and Frank came running up, I barely registered that they were sweating and out of breath. I reached out my hand and gently touched his shoulder. He flinched back as if he was shocked. But I didn't shock him! I swear I didn't!

"Percy?" I asked again. This time his head came up a little.

"Oh, uh sorry guys." He shakily pushed himself up into a kneeling position.

"What happened?" Hazel asked gently kneeling down.

Percy looked scared for a second. "I, uh, just tripped. Um yeah, I tripped over my own feet, I'm really clumsy." I frowned. _The last time I saw him he had more agility then me._

"Your sure nothing else happened?" I asked, not quite buying his whole, Oh-I-am-so-clumsy act.

He nodded his head, "Of course I am, Thalia." He stood up and if anyone else was watching, they wouldn't have seen anything wrong. But I know him better than anyone else, there for I caught the slight grimace as it flashed over his face. "Well, we better go get changed, I don't want to stay here all afternoon." I looked around. It was only then that I realized that everyone else had walked away to change except for the group of demigods. (Minus Drew of course)

"Guys did you see him trip over his feet?" Piper asked. "Because I sure didn't. And I was right behind him."

Jason nodded in agreement, "Your right, Pipes. He seemed well in control of his feet, and his hands for that matter." Jason mumbled the last part. Everyone was silent, thinking over what they had witnessed.

"It doesn't seem likely that Percy would trip. He probably had just as much grace as us." Annabeth thought aloud.

"Plus he was captain of the Rhode Island swim team, he wouldn't just flop over." Nico added.

Frank sighed, "As much as this is going to bug me for the rest of the day, Percy did have a point. I really do need to change, plus I want to get out of here as soon as possible."

As the others left, Annabeth, Nico and I stood in the middle of the gym.

"Okay, guys. I was thinking of leaving next weekend, but because these odd events, I think we should go this weekend instead. Find Grover faster, and figure out what's up with Percy sooner." Annabeth toook charge.

"Okay, deal." Nico and I said in unison again. I punched him, it was annoying. We all slowly walked back to our locker rooms, thinking of what we might find out about my cousin._  
_

_Line Break~

"So guys, how did Percy get the flag exactly?" Annabeth asked with her eyebrows arched. We were all sitting by our favorite ice cream shop, Blue Ice Cream Blizzard. We had invited Percy to come, but he quickly declined, saying something about having to help Gabe with something. _Like get a bear from the fridge, cause he's to fat to get one himself._ I thought with malice.

"Yeah, you guys are demigods, too!" Leo laughed. "Plus you had a great vantage point." Jason, Frank and Hazel all looked down in shame.

"Leo's kidding, guys." Piper comforted. "We're just curious on how someone was almost able to beat one of Annabeth's plan, that's all."

Hazel took a breath. "Okay. Well we decided that Frank would be on the ground and Jason and I would hide by the flag. Frank got quite a few out, but there were more than expected."

Jason nods, "Percy is so much faster than I thought. I had to get out of my hiding spot to fend off one of the jocks that got past Frank."

"And I was taking care of a few cheer leaders. Then all of a sudden, Percy is standing right next to the flag. I was about to tag him out, but then he did a flip off the bleachers!" Hazel continued.

Frank sighs, "Then when most of Sloan's offense team was in jail I turned to see Percy dodging Hazel and Jason's attempts of tagging him. He really is quite fast. Then when he had an opening he bolted."

"I think you all saw the rest." Jason says.

After a second of silence Leo chuckles. "You guy's got beat by a mortal? No offense guys, but that is sorta sad."

"Hey," I said, looking up from my rocky-road ice cream. "Percy may be a mortal, but he is pretty athletic." I didn't like how Leo called Percy a mortal. Not that he wasn't, it was just that it didn't sound right.

"She's right," Nico supported. "You guys probably don't know his athletic back round."

Leo raised an eyebrow, "Then enlighten us on all the great physical achievements Percy has accomplished." The rest of our friends leaned in to hear. Annabeth seemed a little more eager than the rest, but I could've been imaging it.

Nico didn't even blink at his sarcasm. "Percy was the captain of the Rhode Island State swim team. They competed in the Nationals and won, thanks to Percy's round. He was captain of the sparring and lancing team, too."

"Of course then there are all the physical training camps he went to during the summer. We don't know all of them, but we do know that he went to a different one each year and came out on the top of his class." I put in. I smirked at Leo's slack jaw, obviously he wasn't expecting anything like that. I turned to the others and they all had similar expressions of awe.

"Then there's the military school he just got back from, the one he's been going to before he started here. I'm pretty sure he's trying out for the swim team next week. Like he even needs to try out, every school on the East Coast has been notified of Percy's achievements." Nico added. He turned to Leo. "That enlighten you?" I chuckled and high-fived Nico.

"Well guys no matter how fun this has been I need to go home." Annabeth stood up with her cup of vanilla ice cream. She pointedly looked at Nico and I, reminding us that we needed to pack for our weekend trip. _Like I could forget._ I rolled my eyes and quickly nodded at her. Nico did the same. _Well, this is gonna be fun..._

_Line Break

The week passed by in a flash and soon enough I was stuffing last-minute-essentials in my bag, getting ready for our weekend trip to 'camp'. Or at least that's what we told our parents, well that's what _Annabeth_ told her parents. Nico and I lived together in an apartment near the Empire State building. It was actually pretty nice, with a big spacious living room, a nice kitchen and two separate bedrooms. Anyway we were ready and heading out in a few minutes. I stuffed the last things inside then ran down to my car.

"Ready, Nico?" I asked as I started the engine. Nico sat in the passengers seat, looking at a map.

"Yeah, by the way, Annabeth is going to have to help us with navigation. This is confusing as Hades." He muttered, still scanning over the map.

We pulled into Annabeth's driveway. She ran out in the next few minutes, calling good-bye to her father. She threw her bags into the trunk then slid into the car.

"Hey, guys." She greeted as we pulled out.

"Hey, Annabeth. You ready to find Grover?" I asked. I could see her nodding in the rearview mirror.

"Yeah, I did a little research on my computer. We should head to Percy's old town first. It's called Portsmouth. Apparently one of the original towns in Rhode Island. Established in the 16 hundreds."

I rolled my eyes at her facts. _So daughter of Athena._ I thought. "That's great, but how do you get to Portsmouth."

Annabeth rolled her eyes and proceeded to point out various roads and highways to take. Nico marked them on our map, making it a lot easier to read. I felt a little excited I was going to finally start figuring out what happened to my cousin. _All I need is a little help from Percy's dear friend and my own memory. Then I'm sure with Annabeth's help we can piece it together._ I thought as we slowly made our way to Portsmouth. _I will find out what happened to Percy Jackson._

**AUTHOR'S Note**

**Sorry for not posting for a while. This took longer than expected. Review if you'd like, but you don't have to. I never really wanted to either. Okay, I will be posting chapters hopefully with more action. Take it easy, U got 2 get down 2 get up.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello, in this chapter more action will unfold. Thank you for reviewing, daineseanna and JRezaei, your comments really made my day! Guest, I'm not sure if that's your Pen Name or not, but thank you for the encouragement. You guys really keep me going. Take it easy.**

**Annabeth's POV**

Three hours and twenty five minutes. That is how long I had been in the car for. And still I had three more minutes a head of me. Three more minutes of listening to Thalia and Nico hurl insults at each other like smoking bombs with Green Day playing in the back round. _Oh please, help me!_ I thought, trying to tune out the cousins' constant bickering as I did research on Grover. It was actually a little creepy just how good I was at researching people. I had learned in the three hours and twenty five minutes that Grover's last name was Underwood. He was diagnosed with a leg disease, making him walking on crutches. He met Percy at Yancy Camp for troubled teens. **(I'm making it a summer camp, I know it's actually an academy in the books) **He was Percy's best friend, and supported him throughout his whole life. Most importantly, I learned that Grover still lived in a cabin near wear Percy lived. I also learned that Portsmouth wasn't the exact place where Percy lived. He actually used to live in a cabin on the beach of Montauk. **(I don't know where Portsmouth is, but I know it's real. Please just play along and pretend it's near Montauk. Also, pretend I'm spelling Montauk correctly) **_Let's just hope Grover decides to help. _I thought as we whizzed towards Percy's old home.

_Line Break

"You sure you kids are old enough to stay here without adult supervision?" The old lady was starting to tick me off. Yeah we were sophomores, but it wasn't like we were going to burn the entire motel down. I tapped my foot impatiently. It was 9' o clock at night, and I really wanted to go to bed. It might sound lame, but I am not a night person. I can't stay awake for very long and still function correctly.

"Yes, ma'am, I am positive that we can behave." I replied. Thalia and Nico stood behind me, their bags slung over their shoulders. Nico had a look of irritation on his face while Thalia looked down right annoyed. We had decided on our way here that we would get a room in a motel to stay the weekend while we found Grover. But honestly, I was ready to sleep outside if it meant not having to deal with the old woman's precautions. _Stupid mortals..._

"Well young lady, I am very sorry, but we can not let you stay here without supervision. You are clearly under the age of eighteen, therefore unable to stay here by yourselves." The old lady didn't seem particularly sorry about kicking us out. Thalia growled and started walking forward but I held out a hand to stop her. She was just a mortal doing her job, no matter how annoyingly. Thalia huffed, turned on her heal and stormed outside, Nico a step behind her.

I met up with Thalia and Nico by Thalia's car. The stars were shining bright overhead, like little pearls in an ocean of dark ink. "Well, Annabeth? Where are we gonna stay?" Thalia asked, still a little miffed I didn't let her pummel the old lady.

I sighed. "Well we don't have many options."

"Really? No kidding." Nico said, rolling his eyes.

"What are we supposed to do? Sleep on the sand?" Thalia asked. _Actually, not a bad idea, Thals._

"Actually, Thals. That isn't a bad idea." Thalia's mouth gaped.

"You're kidding. I was joking!"

"Hmm... oh! Maybe we don't have to sleep on the beach." I said.

"What do you mean, Annie?" I shot Thalia a glare.

"I mean, that if Percy's cabin is empty..." I trailed off, letting the idea sink in.

Nico nodded. "Beats sleeping on sand dunes." _Let's hope it doesn't have spiders... _I thought with a shudder.

_Line Break~

The cabin was old. It was sorta dirty. It probably had a million spiders lurking in the corners. But for some odd reason, I loved it. I don't know what made it so pleasant, but there was just a well-loved aura of happiness and love surrounding. It was like stepping into a cloud of innocent childhood memories and joy. The kind of memories that are remembered in a beautiful, buttery light. The kind that makes you feel something deep inside you, making you remember how everything was so black and white, yet so colorful and exciting back then. It was simply a beautiful feeling. Even Thalia and Nico felt it. Their tense shoulders immediately relaxed, and their faces had the smallest of smiles. We all went to work creating make shift beds and cleaning the cabin. By the time we were finished it was ten thirty, but I felt great. It felt good cleaning this place up.

We all flopped down on our beds. "I suppose we start our search tomorrow." I said, yawning.

"Yeah... tomorrow sounds good." Thalia rolled over and began snoring. I looked over at Nico who was already out. I smiled at my two best friends. They were truly great people. They may have seemed tough and hard on the outside, making everyone fear and avoid them. But if you got to know them, you'd see how much they loved and protected their friends and family. You would see how independent they were, yet how much they relied on each other. How they all seemed to play a different part that couldn't function without the other.

I smiled as I turned over onto my stomach, _They need each other as well as Percy, Percy needs them. _I closed my eyes and sighed. _And I need Percy..._

_Line Break~

"Okay, Annie, up and at 'em!" Thalia bellowed in my ear. I shrieked and fell off my bed. I blearily looked up at Thalia. _Why is she up? She's even less of a morning person than me...__  
_

"Thalia, what the heck?" I said, struggling to a sitting position. She smirked above me.

"Well, Annabeth, it's our first full day here and I don't want to waste precious time sleeping!" Now that didn't sound like Thalia. "Plus I'm really hungry. Nico and I have been waiting for you to wake up for like, ten minutes!" _Ahh, that sounds more like Thalia. _I thought as I climbed off the floor.

I stretched, "Okay, okay, I'm up. Why don't we start with a little breakfast, _then_ we can go on a wild goose chase for Grover. Even though," I added as an after thought, "It won't be very wild. I already have most of Grover's information." Thalia looked at me strangely. "Hey, I had to do _something_ while you and Nico were bickering about Green Day for three hours and twenty five minutes."

_Line Break~

I stood on the front steps of Grover Underwood's cabin. It looked a lot like Percy's, so it was pretty beat up. Nico and Thalia waited behind me. I took a deep breath, _Maybe we'll finally get some answers._ I rapped three times on the wooden door. We held our breath.

**Grover's**** POV**

I heard three sharp knocks on my door. _Well that's weird, I'm not expecting anyone. Unless..._ My eyes widened. _No, no it can't be! I've covered my tracks completely, there's no way a monster has found me! _I gulped nervously and put on my fake feet. Better not take chances that it _is_ a mortal. I thought. I trotted towards the door, my reed pipes in hand. _Huh, it doesn't smell like a monster. But not quite human either..._ I thought as I hesitantly opened the door.

My eyes widened yet again at the sight in front of me. Three demigods, two very powerful. _Oh Styx, their gonna attract quite a few monsters. _

"Hello, may I ask if you are Grover Underwood?" The girl in front had blonde hair in a ponytail. She obviously was the diplomat of the trio.

I nodded slowly, still have way behind the door. "Yes I am." I gave a nervous chuckle that came out as more of a bleat than I intended to. "May I ask who you three are?"

The girl smiled and stuck out her hand. "I'm Annabeth Chase. This is Thalia Grace," She waved her hand towards the punk styled girl. "And Nico DiAngelo." She finished, waving her hand towards the goth looking kid. My jaw dropped slightly. I was right! They were powerful.

I looked closely at Thalia, _Yep, definitely the daughter of_ _Zues I had heard about_. I attention turned to the gothic looking kid. _Well, this kid just screams son of Hades. These most be the demigods I heard of from the other satyrs._

"I see." My voice came out squeaky. "Why don't we all go down to the beach? I have a feeling we have a lot to talk about." I could feel the anxiety and curiosity rolling off them. Annabeth nodded and we all headed down to Montauk.

"So," I said as we sat down on the sand. It was just turning eleven, the sun coming down making everything glow gold. "What are you guys doing here?"

Annabeth shrugged. "Well we actually came here for some answers. Do you remember Percy Jackson?" My eyes widened for the third time that day. _They know him?_

"Yes, I do. He was my best friend until he moved away to NYC. Do you know him?"

Thalia nodded. "Yes, Nico and I are actually his cousins." I was stunned, _His cousins? Does that mean Percy is a demigod, too? _"We want to know something."

I nodded. "Okay, sure."

Nico took a breath. "We noticed a change in Percy. It wasn't a good one." _  
_

Annabeth nodded and continued. "And we were wondering if you could help us figure out what made the change."

"Is he monotone? A little depressed?" I asked cautiously. I had noticed that, too.

The goth guy, Nico, nodded. "Yeah, he is. He's eating a whole lot less, too. Plus, he barely uses is old sense of humor."

I was a little stunned. _Percy? No humor? _"Hmm... well I recognized the depression and monotone part of the change, but he still used a little sarcasm before he moved. When did he start going to your school?"_  
_

"He started on on Monday. He didn't go to Goode for a few years." Thalia informed. _So something must've gone a miss during those few years since Percy was still a little himself when he moved._ I thought.

"Based on what we heard, something must've happened during the three year time-span he was living with Gabe, then." Annabeth voiced my thoughts. We all nodded in agreement. I was still having trouble wrapping my head around the fact he still didn't have his sense of humor. _How is that possible?_

"Grover," Annabeth looked thoughtful. "Do you think it would help for you to see him again? It would be beneficial to both of you, and you could stay at my or Thalia's place." She sounded hopeful. _Huh, maybe it would help. I would need to see this un-sarcastic Percy for my own eyes anyway._

"I wouldn't want to impose on you guys." I said, flushing a little.

"You wouldn't be imposing! You'd be helping! And if you're alright with it, then we would just need your parent's permission." Thalia stated firmly. _Oh Styx, they still don't know I'm a satyr!__  
_

"Uh.. well I sorta live alone right now. My... camp director is like my father." I smiled nervously, "Perhaps you've met him, demigods. His name's Chiron." The three looked at me, astonished. Thalia jumped up and had a spear at my throat before I could even say, Styx.

"Who are you? How do you know about us? Are you a monster?"

"N-no, no NO!" I shrieked, a little higher than I'd like. Nico had a black sword in his hand while Annabeth was simply studying me. "I'm a s-satyr! I'm a satyr! I am a keeper for the Council of C-cloven Elders! I go to Camp Half Blood! Please don't slice me in h-half!" I ended my rant with a loud bleat.

Thalia narrowed her eyes. "And how do we know you aren't lying, _satyr_?"

"I'm wearing f-fake shoes right now! If you take them off I swear on the river Styx that you'll find hooves underneath them!" I bleated again.

Annabeth got up from her sitting position and walked over. She bent down and took off my shoes. Yep, goat hooves. "Thalia, let him go. He's a satyr."

Thalia complied, looking a little sheepish. "Sorry, Grover. I guess it's instinct."

I nodded, still a little on edge. "N-no problem." I stuttered a quiet chuckle. "I love having spears at my throat."

We all stood for a minute, in incredibly awkward silence. "Well um, despite the fact that I almost cut you in half, would you still like to come back to New York City with us?" Thalia asked.

I nodded. "Um yeah, if it's not too much of a bother. I would like to see Percy again, see him without his sense of humor."

Annabeth steps up. "Great! Grover, you're welcome to stay at either one of our apartments. You can stay as long as you want, I suppose. Um... well I'm sure you can help us figure out what's up with Percy." She said. Another awkward silence fell on us.

"Well," I cleared my throat. "Um, I guess I should get packing."

_Line Break~

As we crossed the Washington Bridge, I couldn't help but stare at Mount Olympus. _Aka, the Empire State Building,_ I thought. It stood high and proud against the skyline. Annabeth, Thalia, Nico and I had returned to New York City on Sunday. It was just sunset when we entered the city. It really was a beautiful place, in it's own way. The skyscrapers, the bridges, it was quite impressive. The way the sunlight reflected off the buildings was beautiful. Too bad it was so polluted. I had to hold my breath as we crossed the Hudson River. Yuck.

"Well here we are, home sweet home." Thalia said. We had dropped off Annabeth on our way to Thalia and Nico's apartment. I had been a little skeptical about Thalia driving since she was a sophomore, but then again, her father is Zues. The building it's self was pretty nice. A silvery metal coated the outside, encasing the whole building in a beautiful glow. It had fancy revolving doors and a red awning. Pretty nice, all in all.

As we made our way up to Thalia and Nico's penthouse, Thalia filled me in on 'the plan'. I was to stay with Thalia and Nico until we could figure out what was wrong with Percy. Thalia had gotten me enrolled in Goode High School, so I was all set to start on Monday.

As I fell asleep on Nico and Thalia's comfy couch I thought of my best friend. _What could have happened to Percy?_

__Line Break~_

The bus ride was torture. It sent off so many fumes I thought I might choke. _So much pollution. So much!_ I thought as we pulled into the school parking lot.

"Okay, so Annabeth should be meeting us at my locker after we got your whole schedule down." Thalia stated as we headed towards the main office.

"Hello, honey. What can I do for you?" The lady at the desk asked. She seemed nice enough, with a pink sweater on. A little grandmotherly.

"Hi, Mrs. Pape." Nico said. "This is Grover. He is just starting today. We were wondering if you have his information."

Mrs. Pape smiled kindly and searched through a filing cabinet. "Why, here we are! Grover, right? Your locker number is 423, right down the west hall, here." She said, pointing to a place on the little map she had spread over her desk. "We don't have homeroom here at Goode, but you do have about a thirty minutes to get settled and socialize before classes start." Mrs. Pape slid a piece of paper over to me. It had a bunch of classes and times on it. "And here is your schedule, dear. Would you like a tour?"

"That's okay, . We'll take it from here." Thalia said, leading me out of the office.

"Have a nice day, dears!"

_Line Break~

"So what is your schedule?" Nico asked as I closed my locker. We still had fifteen minutes till classes started.

"Um." I checked my schedule. "Looks like Science."

"Hey, guys!" I looked up to see Annabeth come running up to us. "How are you settling in, Grover?"

"Good, just trying to figure out my schedule."

She looked over my schedule. "Hmm, seems that you'll have pretty much the same schedule as me. That means you won't be seeing Percy till lunch."

"Oh okay. Gee, I can't wait to see him. We haven't spoken for like, three years."

"Yeah, this must be really exciting for you." Nico chimed in.

I nodded. "I want to figure out what's wrong with Percy."

Thalia grunted in agreement. "I think we have a common purpose."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Of course we do. Now, should we tell our friends about our situation?" She turned to look at me. "They, by the way, are also demigods. Jason is Thalia's little brother, and Hazel is Nico's sister. You'll meet them today at lunch. There is also Piper, Jason's girlfriend, Frank, Hazel's boyfriend, Leo and Reyna. Silena and Drew are also demigods, but we don't really talk to them."

I blinked. _Did she always talk so fast?_ "Thanks."

_Line Break~

Lunch. FINALLY!

"Whoa, Grover, dude, slow down! You're going to choke!" Leo warned me. I had gone through the whole introductions before I had sat down. They all seemed like nice people, at least they took the news of my being satyr a little better than Thalia. They were actually quite welcoming. We had told them all about our little predicament, and they were more than happy to help.

"I'm sorry, I just love these enchiladas!"

Leo tipped his invisible hat at me. "That I can understand, _amigo_." **(Again, not trying to be racist. I just want to include Leo's heritage)**

"Hey, Grover, here comes your best friend." Thalia nudged me. I turned around. There was Percy. He seemed taller, though that was to be expected. His hair and features were the same, but there was something definitely off. The way his posture was slouched, as if saying _Don't look at me! Just leave me alone!_, wasn't what I remembered. The way his eyes were down cast or the way he strides were small and hesitant, instead of the long, confident ones he had three years ago. _  
_

He looked up and met my gaze. His eyebrows shot straight up and his mouth dropped slightly. "Grover!" He exclaimed as he reached our table. "What... I don't... It's great to see you, buddy!" He smiled one of his old smiles, the one that made everyone smile too.

"Percy!" I bleated. _Whoops. That wasn't supposed to happen._

"I can't believe you're here! How have you been? Are your legs still okay? What are you doing here? Where are you staying? How long are you gonna stay?" Percy stopped for a second. "What are you doing at Goode?"

"Slow down, Perce! Easy does it!" I exclaimed. "First of all, I am at your school because Thalia enrolled me here, I am staying with Thalia and Nico till further notice, I obviously came to see you and go to Goode, my legs are um... fine, and I've been great." I took in a deep breath. "I think those answer all your questions."_  
_

Percy grinned like crazy. He turned to Thalia. "You got him enrolled here? How? You're a sophomore!"

Thalia smirked, though you could see the how happy she was underneath. "Well, smart one, I always get my way. Plus I thought you could use some homey-feeling." As she said the last part, her smirk melted into the sisterly-loving smile.

"No way! You're awesome, Thals! But how did you find him?"

"Um..."

Annabeth spoke up then, "We actually found him by accident. Thalia, Nico and I decided to get some stuff from this summer camp we go to. It just so happened to be right next to Montauk. We ran into Grover, and I guess everything sorted itself out from there."

A weir look flashed in Percy's eyes. "Oh, cool! A summer camp, huh? Is it that same one you guys were talking about before? What was it called again? Half Blood Hill?" I felt a stab of panic. _Did they mess up and tell a mortal about camp?_

Once again Annabeth saved us again. "Yeah, actually it is. I forgot my bag of architectural astro-physics."

His right eyebrow rose, but other than that Percy didn't indicate he doubted anything.

_Line Break~

After that first day, Thalia, Nico, Annabeth and I all started to watch.

**I do believe that is where I'll stop. Sorry I didn't update on Saturday or Friday like I did before. I was caught up in something. Anyway like I said before, no pressure in reviewing. I don't like doing it either. Take it easy, guys! U got 2 get down 2 get up.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Haha, thanks, BananaWombat221! I was wondering! I would also like to thank Doughnutswilderness, your comment really brightened my day! As for thetrueHermione (Guest), thanks, it's good to know, and I definitely will finnish it since you requested me to! Guest, thank you so much for your encouragement, it really helped me out! Kate (Guest), you gave me an excellent idea for this chapter! I thank you very much since I was a bit stuck. Beeimahalfblood, Thank you so much! Your comment made me feel so good, I will definitely update now! Finally seaweedbrainlover1117, I LOVE your attitude! Trust me, Percy's friends will find out, and when they do... well, Gabe's not going to be to comfortable after that! Your comment really made me laugh, again, I LOVE your attitude! Thank you guys, all of you, for reviewing, this is the most I have had so far!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson, all rights go to Rick Riordan.**

**Annabeth's POV**

"Hey, Perce!"

"Hey, G-man!" Percy exclaimed happily, sitting down next to us at our lunch table. Percy had seemed a little more open once Grover had enrolled at Goode. He definitely smiled more often, and I could see how his guard would slip every once in a while. Percy seemed to be a little more free, his attitude brighter, his eyes happier, and his humor showing more often. Even the atmosphere around Percy was lighter, making anyone within a five-foot radius smile.

"So, do you have time after school to go see the new skate-board store? It just opened a few days ago, and apparently it is pretty good!" Grover asked, munching on a vegetarian enchilada.

One of Percy's alien-expressions flickered across Percy's face. I had become a little better at catching them, but I still had no idea how to interpret them. "Oh, um, sorry I can't. I have to... do some projects after school. I'm really behind!" Percy stuttered, his eyes flitting nervously around our lunch table. Nobody seemed to notice except for Thalia, Nico, Grover and me.

"Really?" I asked. "Which project? I haven't been assigned any."

Percy uncomfortably fidgeted with his fork. "Uh, yeah. Well they're not actually... for school! Um, they're for my stepfather. Yeah, uh, really important... and stuff." He gave us a strained smile. All four of us narrowed our eyes. He hadn't done anything, with anyone after school since he got here.

"Okay..." Grover trailed off.

"How 'bout on Saturday, Perce? I was thinking about going to the movies. We could see Spider Man 2 or something..." Thalia looked at Percy hopefully.

He quickly shook his head, "Sorry, Thals. I can't I have plans."

"Oh really?" Nico asked, an eyebrow raised. "Plans with who?"

"A... f-family... thing." Percy said. He stumbled over the word, 'family'. _Why?_

"Guys," The increasingly annoying voice of Reyna cut through our conversation. "Don't you know it's rude to be so intruding? Let Percy do what he wants." We all turned to glare at Reyna. She smirked coldly back at us then sent Percy a flirty smile. _Why do we hang out with her? _I thought, turning back to Percy with a huff.

"I guess Reyna is right." Grover said grudgingly.

"Yeah, I guess... sorry, Perce." Nico said, looking at the table.

Percy cracked a soft smile, "Hey, it's fine! I'm sorry I have such a packed schedule!" He chuckled.

We all smiled awkwardly at one another, until Percy and Grover started talking about skate-boards. Even though Percy had been acting a little more cheerful, there was still something off. Something big. Being the daughter of Athena, I was blessed with patience. _So that's what I'll do, then. _I thought determined. _I'll wait, watch, and listen. I'm sure I'll know what to do in a few weeks. _

_Line Break~

_I had no idea what to do. We had been watching Percy for a little over a month. Nothing. Grover couldn't think of anything that would change Percy so drastically. The bad thing is, is that sometimes I thought that maybe Grover wasn't telling all he knew... just sometimes. The rest of our group still observed with us, but it was becoming increasingly hard to find Percy when he wasn't on his guard. His 'status' in school had taken a dramatic turn. The "popular'' kids found out that he was an athlete, plus having I'm-gonna-leave-my-boyfriend-just-for-you looks. Let's just say he became very popular very quickly. The thing that I loved though, was that he didn't want to. He practically ran from the cheerleaders when they threw themselves at him, and he made it very clear that he didn't want to join the jock's table. Go Percy!_

"Guys, I don't know what to do." The exasperated voice of Thalia snapped me out of my reverie. We were all camped out in Thalia and Nico's apartment for the evening. Thalia was flopped over the leather couch with a bowl of popcorn on the floor next to her. Nico was channel surfing, though he didn't look like he found anything. And Grover was raiding the kitchen. Yep, a thrilling Saturday night. I thought as I sat in the comfy recliner.

"About what, Thals?" I asked, even though everyone already knew.

Thalia groaned, "My cousin, Annabeth!"

"I am touched by your concern, but what are you concerned about?" Nico said, not taking his eyes off the TV from where he sat on the floor.

"You know what I meant, Death Breath!"

I rolled my eyes. Some people never grow up. "I don't know, Thalia. We've been watching him for a month now. Still nothing."

"Yeah, nothing but his growing popularity." Thalia huffed.

"What are we talking about?" Grover asked, coming in with a plate, towering with vegan tacos.

"What to do about Percy." Nico responded.

"Oh..." Grover plopped down on the ground, a few feet from Nico. "Well, I know that Percy guards his secrets well."

"Obviously." Nico said.

I thought about it. We haven't been making any progress watching him in school. We were part of the public eye then, so anything we saw, people at school would too. I bet he knew it, too.

"Annabeth, you have that face on. What are you thinking about?" Nico asked. I looked up to be greeted by three curious sets of eyes.

"Well I was just thinking that we have been watching him at school. And school is a public place. Maybe he wouldn't show that many clues in a public place. Maybe he would let down his guard more on his own." I smirked a little. "And maybe we would be there to see it."

Thalia sat up, grinning. "Yeah, maybe we would. You know, I happen to know which way Percy's apartment is. If we, oh I don't know, follow him to his house, do you think he'd let down his guard then?"

"Oh most definitely, he would." I said.

"Well, we don't have anything better to do on Monday afternoons anyway." Nico said, he was also smirking.

We all turned to Grover. "I'm in." Wonderful. We are going to have an interesting Monday afternoon.

_Line Break~

You know how in the movies, spying on people is always so easy? How when the person turns around after hearing a sound, there is no one there? How the spies peak through bushes, and swing through trees with not as much as a sound? Well, surprise surprise, it's not that easy! Imagine having to run after a person who has incredibly long strides, trying to keep out of sight of the person, but keep that person in your sight, trying to not make a sound, running over incredibly dirty alleys, and doing this all with someone whose half goat and can't keep quiet for his own life. If you just followed that I commend you. The good thing was that we were able to convince the rest of the group to stay behind so only Thalia, Nico, Grover and I had to follow Percy.

"Stopping pushing!"

"I'm sorry, but I can't help that my shoes are fake!"

"Hey, put your crutches somewhere other then my face!"

"I'm sorr-"

"Shut up!" I hissed. Thalia, Grover and Nico immediately quieted. "Thank you." I huffed, turning back to my little peep hole in the bush we were hiding in. We had been following Percy since he left school. I didn't realize how long of a walk he had to school. All four of us were cramped behind a bush, watching Percy walk up to Bramford.

Percy stopped at the bottom of the steps, suddenly seeming nervous. It can't be that he thinks it's haunted. I thought. He's way to smart to fall for that kind of stuff. Percy took a deep breath and slowly climbed the stairs. He brought out a key and shakily unlocked the door. Shakily? I was dumbfounded. How could something make Percy so nervous in a matter of seconds? Motioning to Thalia, Nico and Grover, I started creeping out of our hiding place. Normal people would have to wait for someone to unlock the door for them. Not us, we were demigods.

**(I don't know what Bramford looks like on the inside, I am guessing. If I am wrong, I am sorry)**As soon as Percy closed the door behind him, I jumped up and ran to the door. I didn't want to risk losing him in there, we would've never found his apartment. I paused for a second or two before starting to pick the lock, not wanting him to see us. After what I thought was a reasonable amount of time, I opened the door and peaked in. I could see the faint outline of Percy's back, disappearing into the gloom of a large hallway. I nodded to my teammates over my shoulder, before slipping inside.

We followed Percy up numerous flights of stairs. They all looked identical to one another. When my legs were just about to give out, Percy finally stopped in front of one landing. As we followed him down one gloomy hallway, I started to hear the sounds of a party. I identified the sounds of beer bottles clinking, cards slapping a surface, and the almost-insane laugh of four or five men. Percy stopped in front of the door where most of the noise came from.

He sucked in a huge breath, then slowly unlocked the door and pushed it open a little. This is it. I thought, I looked over at Thalia, Nico and Grover. They nodded, remembering the plan. We were all supposed to use our powers to stay out of sight, yet being able to see too. I swiftly tugged my baseball cap, which made me turn invisible, onto my head. I turned and saw Nico in case himself in shadows, turning nearly as invisible as me. Thalia took a deep breath, then summoned the wind to lift her and me up (Making us quieter), she grabbed onto my hand, effectively channeling my invisibility into her own power. Grover picked up a soft, eerie tune, slowly transforming into a breeze. **(I am quite aware that there is noting remotely close to this happening in the books, but I want them all to see, so please just play along!) **We all snuck in, barely making it into the apartment. Yuck, what kind of dump is this? I thought with disgust. The apartment was littered with garbage. Empty beer bottles were strewn across the room, making it almost impossible to stand up straight. Empty pizza boxes were littered around the room. I almost gagged when I saw a rat slip under a can.

Four huge, disgusting men were sitting around a poker table. They all had one hand full of cards, and one with a beer. The biggest, ugliest of them all turned his greasy head to look at Percy who stood stock still by the door.

"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in." He smirked, and took a swig from his bear bottle.

Thalia whispered in my ear, "That's Gabe. Percy's stepfather."

Percy gulped, but remained silent.

One of Gabe's friends laughed, "It looks like a dead rat!"

Another said, "Nah, more like a dead dog. And you know what all sons of dogs are, right?"

Gabe and his friends laughed hysterically. Percy was slowly inching out of the room, probably trying to get to his bedroom.

"Hey!" Gabe shouted. "Where do you think you're going?"

Percy looked up from the ground. "To my room."

Gabe raised an eyebrow. "You haven't given me my fifteen bucks yet. And you know you don't get by without giving me fifteen bucks."

"I don't have any money, Gabe." Percy said through gritted teeth.

"Well, then, I think you know what's coming, now don't ya?" Gabe started to get up, along with his four other friends. They started towards Percy, two a little faster than the others.

Percy backed up even more quickly. "G-Gabe, stop. I don't have a-any money! S-stop!" I clenched my fist, trying to keep a rational mind. I felt Thalia tense next to me, I heard her shallow breath. I knew she was fighting just as hard not to deck these guys. I could see the faint outline of Nico, standing a few feet away from us. He was radiating fury. Grover's current of air had also turned stormy, a few degrees colder than the rest of the room.

**(OKAY! HERE IS WHERE THE T RATED PART COMES IN. PLEASE SKIP IF YOU DO NOT LIKE VIOLENCE!)**

Gabe smiled sadistically. He raised his hand still clenching the half empty beer bottle, and brought it down with force. CRACK! The bottle shattered on top of Percy's head. I saw red. I started forward, but forgot about the beer bottles. I fell, but thankfully didn't make to much sound thanks to Thalia's wind current. I was still dazed though, sitting on the disgusting floor. The bad thing was that I accidently brought Thalia down with me. We were both dazed on the floor, to much in a stupor to do anything but watch in horror and fury. Nico must've ended up in something of the same predicament, since none of Gabe's cronies had fallen down dead yet. **(Meaning that Nico would've killed them if he could... sorry, that was a bit hard to understand.) **Grover's anger was tangible, but he was still in wind formation and couldn't do anything but watch as well. So we watched.

**(T RATED PART IS OVER, A LITTLE OF THE AFTERMATH IS NEXT, BUT IT SHOULD BE OKAY)**

After fifteen excruciating minutes, the damage was done and Gabe and his friends walked out the door, still laughing. By now I had gained my full senses, back. I wanted to run to Percy who was on the floor groaning, but I remembered I was still invisible. It would be a little hard to explain why a voice was just randomly talking to him. I could sense the other's growing frustration and worry about the situation. Just as I was about to run to Percy, Screw the secret, he got up on his own. I was shocked, how could a mortal take that kind of a beating and still be able to get up? We watched him stagger over to the doorway. After a few seconds after he disappeared down the hall, we heard the shower start. I was about to follow when the hall thing sunk in. Percy is abused. He is abused by Gabe. My mind kept repeating to me. Then the flow of questions started. _How long has this been happening? Why hasn't Percy told anyone yet? How can all the scars and bruises be hidden when we see him in close proximity all the time? Does Percy usually take that kind of a beating? Why didn't I see it before? How can I stop this? Will Percy ever tell us, or will we have to trick him into saying it. We can't let him know we spied on him... especially since we were invisible while doing it. How could someone do that to someone else?_ My thoughts went a million miles an hour, struggling to accept what just happened. I took of my Yankees cap for a brief second to signal everyone to meet outside, we couldn't help Percy now by barging in on him in the shower.

_Line Break~

Thalia, Nico, Grover and I all sat around Thalia and Nico's apartment in silence. We had walked home in silence, too, still struggling with this new information.

Thalia broke the silence. "Percy is abused. He is abused. ABUSED!" She started off quiet, then her voice rose until she was screaming. "THAT PIG IS ABUSING MY COUSIN! MY COUSIN!" She jumped up and hit the couch with such force I was afraid it would break. "GABE IS GOING TO REGRET THIS FOR THE REST OF HIS NO-GOOD, WORTHLESS LIFE!"

Nico's dark eyes had turned from his usual pitch-black, to a dangerous obsidian. "Gabe Ugliono is going to regret this for more than just his life-span, Thalia." His face was set in a murderous glare. "A lot more than his life-span."

Grover was seething in silence, but you could tell by the way his grip on his reed-pipes was so tight and his furious expression, that he couldn't wait to get his hands on that poor excuse for a mortal. As for me, I was ready to run back to Bramford and beat up Gabe and his gang three times as bad as they did Percy. But I was a daughter of Athena, I had to keep my head.

"I think we can all say that we are all ready to rip out Gabe's throat right now, but we have to deal with this with a clear head." I said unconvincingly, seeing as I spit the words through my teeth. _Oh screw a clear head! Stab Gabe right in his miserable heart!_ The more emotional part of my brain said. _Or,_ my more rational side reasoned, _W__ait, plan and make revenge five times as bad as that._

"Oh? And what do you think we should do, then? Wait around while Percy is freaking ABUSED until we find some brilliant way to end Gabe? I don't THINK SO! That POOR EXCUSE FOR A MORTAL IS GOING TO DIE!" Thalia turned on me.

"I think we should convince Percy into telling us he's abused, then help him once he's admitted it. Then we don't have to explain how we know. And once we have a plan, revenge will be five times worse." I sounded emotionless, but I knew that it would make it easier for both sides of the party. _And revenge all the more sweeter..._

Thankfully Grover supported me, "Annabeth's right. As much as I hate Gabe right now, it won't do us any good to go storming the streets looking for him. If we get Percy to admit he is being abused," Grover's voice filled with hate when he said it, "then we could get rid of Gabe so much more easily."

Nico stood then. He faced us with a cold, brutal face, the kind of face I only see when someone threatened a friend. "You expect us to sit down and watch Percy, _our cousin_, go through this pain everyday? You saw what Gabe and his cronies did! They beat him till he was nearly unconscious! I'm actually surprised Percy _didn't_ pass out from the pain! And you two are suggesting letting this happen?" He asked outraged.

I stood as well, no way was I backing down. "I know where you're coming from, Nico. I honestly do. But simply marching up to Gabe and killing him is just going to cause more trouble for Percy. No doubt Gabe's poker buddies would claim he did it, and I don't think you want Percy behind bars for the rest of his life." I took a deep breath. "All I'm asking is for you to play this out. We'll find a way to convince Percy to admit he's being abused, without the use of godly powers, then we will make a plan on getting Gabe thrown in jail. It would be a lot easier if Percy helped us. If we get evidence against Gabe, then we won't have to worry about him ever again. Plus, Percy would be in the clear, no suspicion on him. Please, just give this time to play out. I hate what's happening just as much as you do, but to get the best revenge we have to be patient." I watched Nico and Thalia closely, waiting for their responses.

Nico looked deep in thought, two conflicting sides fighting. Of course his natural instinct was to protect Percy, but in the long shot, which side would be better for Percy? Thalia looked like she was about to explode. Her face was red, sweat beading on the top of her brow. Her eyebrows were scrunched together in concentration._ Please, please._ I thought._ Let me put my full wrath on Gabe, my way._

"Alright." The gruff reply came from Thalia. She started walking away, but turned around before she had gotten three steps. "But, if this takes more than two and a half weeks, I am sending that bastard to Hades whether you approve or not." She stormed away, cursing in ancient Greek under her breath.

Nico also stood up, not much better than Thalia. "I don't like this, but you raise a good point. Killing Gabe right off the bat is just going to cause more trouble for Percy. But, like Thalia said, if this plan of yours doesn't develop in two weeks, doesn't start at at least three days before our deadline," A malicious glint in his cold black eyes, "we're not waiting any longer."

_Line Break~

Tension weighed heavily on our group for the first few days. I had been thinking furiously on a plan to get Gabe in jail. Convincing Percy that we had figured out that he was abused without our demigod powers would've been easy enough. The problem was getting Gabe arrested. If he had been able to keep up his sick _game_ for three years, he must've been pretty good at lying. Thalia and Nico had become increasingly short tempered in the time it took to get to school. We were all anxious to see Percy. _Make sure that PIG didn't kill him..._ I thought viscously. _Because if he did, well, I'm with Thalia and Nico._

"Look, there's Percy!" Grover nudged me. I spun around and sure enough, there was one of my best friends, Percy Jackson. He held a lunch tray piled with food and was walking towards our table with a bunch of girls following him. _If they don't back off by the time Percy gets within a ten-foot radius, I will personally kick every single one of those air-heads. _I felt the weird feeling in the pit of my stomach that I got every time I saw a girl mooning after and Nico's eyes followed their cousin while he made his way to us. _Probably looking for signs of pain. _My hands clenched into fists. _But if we didn't notice before, I suppose we won't be able to see now. He must be a very good actor._

"Hey, guys." Percy greeted as he sat down between Grover and me. His greeting was met with four pair of eyes watching him. Percy gave a nervous grin. "Um, why are you guys staring at me?"

I was the first to snap out of the inspection. "Oh nothing! Hi Percy. How are you doing?"

He turned to me, his green eyes a little doubtful it was 'nothing', but he let it pass. "I'm good. Finished my English essay in record time. How are you guys?"

I forced a bright smile. "Great!" Percy and I turned back to the others. I gave a small nod, indicating that it was time to start convincing Percy to tell us about his secret. Thalia nodded back. Grover made a nervous sign with his hand, indicating that we should do this somewhere quieter.

Nico caught on. "Um, hey Perce! Could we talk to you in private? We wanted to ask you something." I almost face-palmed at how bluntly he said it.

Percy looked nervous again. "Um... okay I guess." _It's a good thing everyone else is in their own little worlds. _I thought as I stood up along with Grover, Nico, Thalia, and Percy. I looked around at our lunch table. Piper and Jason were staring into each other's eyes, small smiles playing on their faces. Hazel and Frank were talking animatedly with Leo, who was laughing at something. The only person watching was Reyna. Her cold, brown eyes followed us as we walked to behind the school. I stopped under the tree where Percy and I do homework sometimes. We had started meeting there a lot. I usually helped him with homework while he amused me with jokes and stories.

We all looked at Percy. He shifted his weight from foot to foot. "Um, okay guys. So what did you want to talk?" His sea green eyes flitted around our group.

I stepped up, "Well Percy, we were just wondering... um... well you see...-" I looked behind me for help. How could I just casually bring up the fact that we know he's abused?

Thalia seemed to understand my distress. She stepped next to me. "Percy, we wanted you to know that we know something." _Well, that was blunt._ I thought. I motioned for Nico and Grover to stand behind Percy since he looked about ready to bolt. He spun around, just realizing that my silent command had been obeyed, and his only exit was blocked.

He swiveled back to face Thalia and I. "W-what do you mean?" He asked, trying to stall for time.

"We mean that we know a big secret of yours and we want you to know that it's alright to say it." I explained gently. His eyes took on an even more panicked look.

"I-I don't know w-what you're talking about!" He stuttered as he tried to back up, only to be intercepted by Nico and Grover. "L-leave me alone!"

His statement broke my heart. His voice was so full of pain and fear. "Percy," I tried again. "Please, please, let us help you! We can help! We know what your hiding."

"Perce, we're your family, Thalia and Nico are even blood related to you! We know what you're going through, let us help!"

Percy froze for a second. "You know what I'm going through?" He asked, hope underlying the fear in his voice.

"Yeah, we do, cousin." Thalia says. "We just need you to admit it so we can get started on fixing you up."

Percy looked stunned for a second. "Fix me up?" His tone was incredulous. "How can you do that?"

"By bringing it to court of course!"

"Uh, how is that supposed to help anything?" Green eyes swam with confusion.

Now it was Thalia's turn to look stunned. "I-it will get him thrown in jail obviously!"

Then something happened that I never thought would occur, happened. Percy burst into laughter. He fell on the ground, his laughter echoing off the school. _He has a nice laugh. Rich in tone, but soft. _I thought. When Percy was finally able to gain control of himself he pulled himself into a sitting position. "And how exactly are you going to win _that_ case?" He chuckled.

Everyone was thoroughly confused at that point. _Why did he react that way? Gabe can't possibly be good at court. _I thought. We stood over him. Finally I decided to break the silence. "Uh, Percy, it's not like _we'd _be the ones presenting that case. We'd get a lawyer."

"A lawyer would need evidence." Percy said.

"Right, so why don't you start with admitting it?" Nico asked.

"Like it would do much good." Percy said, a little bitterly.

"Of course it would!" I assured. "You would be testifying your own case, and honestly, it would be a lot easier to win a case if the person we're trying to help actually admits."

Percy sighed, "I seriously doubt you're going to have a prayer at winning this." He looked up from the ground and met everyone's eyes. "But if you somehow think this lunatic idea will actually help anything then fine." He stood. His sea green eyes flashing with defiance. "I'm a demigod."


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello, I'm sorry it took me so long to post. Thank you so much, Beeimahalfblood, you make me feel really great! Drinkingthestarswithbob, Okay, okay, calm down. Deep breaths! I love your enthusiasm, and I will definitely update as soon as I can, since you asked! PlusIsis, I'm really happy you like the story! It's always nice to hear people enjoy it! Kate, thank you so much. I always look forward to your review! FangirlAlertWatchOut, IIIIIII WWIILLL! :) Thank all of you guys so much, you guys really make my day!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any of it's characters. All right's go to Rick Riordan.**

**Annabeth's POV**

_"I'm a demigod."_

"What?" The word breaks the stunned silence that had settled over the group. It fell from the slack lips of Thalia.

Percy's eyes are wide. "That's not what we were talking about?" He asked in a halting voice. My brain went a million miles an hour, _Now it makes sense! The swiftness, the agility, the ADHD, the Dyslexia, even how he got up after Gabe and his friends beat Percy up! He's like us! _

"Y-you're a half blood?" I stuttered, completely shocked.

Percy blinked. "I guess that's not what we were talking about." He murmured under his breath. Louder he said, "Yes, I am. But please, please don't tell anyone!"

I steped forward and place a calming hand on his shaking shoulder. "Don't worry, we are too." I say softly.

Percy's green eyes widened to the size of saucers. "W-what?"

I cleared my throat and took a step back. I gestured to our group. "We also have godly blood in us. Except for Grover who is a satyr." Percy looked around wildly, as if seeing us for the first time.

He finally stopped when his gaze fell on Grover. "My best friend is half goat." He stated plainly. Then he bursted into another fit of laughter. He seemed to be in hysterics. Thalia, Nico, Grover and I exchanged looks, obviously wondering if he lost it. Soon after Percy started, however, Grover began to laugh a little as well. Then Nico. Then Thalia. Then me.

By the time we recovered ourselves enough to sit up from where we had fallen on the grass, the tension had been swept over. I turned to Percy who was wiping tears from his eyes, still chuckling softly. "Okay, so I guess we have a lot to talk about." I said, trying to organize my thoughts.

Percy nodded, his smile fading a little. "Right." He cast a gaze across our group. "So should we start with proper introductions?"

I nodded, it seemed like a good enough start. "Alright, good idea, Percy." I stood up and walked over to Percy. I stuck my hand out to him. "Hi, my name is Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena goddess of wisdom and war." It sounded so ridiculous that I couldn't keep the smile off my face.

Percy chuckled. He stood as well and took my hand. "Hello Annabeth Chase. Pleasure to meet you." _Wow, I didn't know Percy could be so formal._ I thought, my eyes widened a little. Percy looked at the others, obviously not going to introduce himself until they did. I shot them a look.

Grover came up. He held his hand out to Percy, who took it without hesitation. "Hey, my name is Grover Underwood, satyr of Camp Half-Blood." Percy nodded and smiled.

Thalia was next. "Thalia Grace, like you already know, daughter of Zeus the king of the gods."

"Nico DiAngelo, son of Hades the god of the Underworld." Percy looked a little shocked. He mumbled something under his breath.

"What?" I asked, curious.

He looked back at me, "Oh nothing. I was just thinking about how weird it is that Thalia, Nico and I are cousins not just by mortal blood, but by godly as well."

My jaw fell open slightly. "You mean you're...-" I trailed off, looking at Percy in a new light.

He nodded and smirked the slightest. "My name is Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon the sea god."

Everyone seemed to freeze. _Poseidon? _I thought in astonishment. I looked around our group, seeing the same shocked face as mine. I cast a glance towards Nico and Thalia. _The children of the Big Three. Altogether. _I couldn't imagine the amount of power radiating from where they stood.

I stepped forward, "Percy, you couldn't have lived for so long without having any training. Your aura would be incredibly powerful to monsters."

He smiled. "Who said I didn't have training?" His eyebrow raised the slightest bit.

"Well I've never heard of you for as long as I have been at Camp Half Bloods, the one safe haven for demigods. And I have been there for most of my life." **(She just went to summer camp and stuff) **

"My mom sent me there for a few weeks once."

"Only a few weeks?" I asked, surprised.

"Well," Percy looked down at the ground. "I didn't really fit in there. My mom told me not to tell anyone about my heritage. She didn't want me to go, but she wanted me to be able to defend myself. Plus I stayed in the Hermes cabin while I was there. That was a nightmare." He tried to crack a smile.

I narrowed my eyes. The explanation would be perfect for anyone, anyone besides Percy. He was to laid-back and selfless to be chased away from camp because of the cabin he was staying in. "Really? Those are the only reasons?" I asked.

Percy looked back up at me. "Yeah, they are." He slowly said. "Why?"

"It just doesn't seem to add up to me for some reason." I explained.

He gazed with his intelligent green eyes at me, as if deliberating whether he should say something or not. Thalia, Nico and Grover were also looking at Percy, as I did. He sighed. "Nothing gets past you, does it Wise Girl?" He muttered. I was surprised by the nickname, and even more at the warm tingling feeling it gave me. "Your right, there is something more."

"Percy, you don't have to hide anything from us anymore. We're with you." Thalia softly reassured.

Percy looked at his cousin with a mixture of hope, family-love and sadness. "My mom wasn't as well as she seemed to be, Thalia. She was depressed, but she tried to hide it from me. Some nights I would wake up to the sound of her crying. I would get up and walk over to her. I'd hug her while she whispered, '"I'm sorry, baby, I'm so sorry."', over and over again. I had no idea what she was apologizing for until one night I caught her in the act.

I had just come into the kitchen to get some water, when I saw my mom standing at the sink. She was shaking and I was about to go up to her and hug her, but then I saw what she had in her hand. A razor. I watched in horror as she cut herself, to scared to move." Percy took a deep breath. I was astonished, _Percy had to go through this? _I thought. Percy continued. "I must've gasped or something because she spun around with wide eyes. She seemed stunned that I had caught her, and a little guilty to. She set the razor in the sink and cleaned out her cut. When she finally came over to me I was trembling. '"Percy,"' I remember her saying. '"Percy, it's okay. Momma just got a little sad for a second. Everything is okay."'. I was about eight at the time, I didn't understand why my mom would've cut herself. I looked up at her, '"Mommy, why did you do that? Cutting yourself hurt didn't it?"' She smiled a strain smiled. '"It does, Percy. Don't you ever do it."'. I still didn't quite get it, but I knew that I didn't want her doing it. She led me back to my room, laying me down and tucking me in. Before she could go, though, I caught her hand. '"Please don't do it again, Momma. Don't hurt yourself, you're too nice to be hurt especially by yourself."' She looked down at me and smiled. She kissed me on my forehead." Percy inhaled deeply again. My eyes had turned watery, _Even when Percy was young he still had a heart of gold. _I thought. Thalia had a heartbroken expression while Nico seemed to be in shock. Grover wore a sad expression. "I-I remember what she said just as she left. I think she thought that I was a sleep. S-she said, '"If I am nice, my little baby, why did he leave?"'. I guess when I was at camp, I was just so worried about her being alone that I had to come back." He concluded.

Percy took a shuddering breath. I couldn't help it anymore. The pain of watching _him _in pain overwhelmed my rational side and I found my arms wrapping around his waist. His body was shaking from the enormous effort it probably took him not to fall apart. He buried his face in my blonde hair I had always disliked. It occurred to me while he stood shaking in my arms, that he was the strongest person I knew. Sure he looked weak at the moment, in the arms of a girl who was only up to his chin, shuddering and shaking like a leaf, gasping for breath. But he wasn't, he was so much stronger than anyone, possibly even the gods. He had been through his mother's depression, the death of his mother, the abuse and pain inflicted by his stepfather, the torment caused by knowing that monsters walked Earth, the pressure of being a son of one of the most powerful gods in ancient mythology, the stress of training to fight monsters, the anxiousness of turning a corner just to find another monster waiting, the daily toll that makes adults break down, and yet he still has kept it together for sixteen long years. He still kept his sanity when most people's would snap like a twig, he kept his natural personality of fun and love even when everything seemed dark. He didn't even let anyone else share his burden. Percy Jackson was the most impressive person I had ever met or heard of.

Percy mumbled things into my hair, most of which I didn't catch, but I was able to make out a few words, "I'm sorry... I don't... weak... need to be strong, but... I... miss... m-mom... why...-" My heart ached for Percy. He tried so hard to be brave and strong when all odds were always against him.

"Shh, shh, Percy. I got you, everything's gonna be alright." I whispered to him, not quite aware of Thalia, Nico and Grover standing around us.

Percy shuddered. "A-Annabeth, I m-miss her s-so much. S-So so much. A-and I j-just want her b-back." I swallowed my own sob at Percy's innocent, almost child-like words. _Most people, _I thought, _would be screaming profanities at whoever died, saying how the person promised to stay. _I smiled a weak, wavering smile. _Not Percy, though._

"I know Percy. I know. It's gonna be okay. We'll figure this out, okay? You and me." I promised as I held him tighter. His arms were wrapped around my waist, much like how mine were wrapped around his.

"Y-yeah, Percy. We're gonna do this thing together. You're not alone, you've got us." said Thalia, placing a comforting hand on Percy's shoulder.

"She's right, Percy." I whispered in his ear. "You've got us now, and we've got you."

Percy finally looked up at me. His green eyes weren't the dull green I usually saw, instead they were lighter, like a huge weight had been lifted from Percy's-already-overburdened-shoulders. Since I was so close I could see flecks of blue and interestingly enough, gold, mixed into his sea green eyes. He looked down at me, "Thank you."

_Line Break~

All five of us lounged around in Nico and Thalia's apartment. It felt good with five people here, complete. Nico was again surfing the TV while Thalia was sprawled on the couch. Grover was in the kitchen like last time while I was lounging on the recliner. Percy was in the kitchen with Grover, probably clearing the fridge of all food. _Boys. _

"Hey guys." I whispered as I leaned over near Thalia and Nico. They leaned towards me as well. "So now that we know that Percy is a half-blood, how are we gonna break it to him that we know that he is abused?"

Thalia frowned. "Well obviously the whole 'persuade' him didn't really work. We were talking about completely different things for most of the conversation."

"We could just do it bluntly, screw the riddles. They just confuse everyone and make it more frustrating." said Nico quite plainly.

"I guess," I sighed, I didn't like my plans not working, "But seeing as how Percy reacted to the first secret, I'm not sure how he's gonna take this one." I weighed the options mentally.

"Oh like it really bothered you having Percy in your arms." Thalia joked lightly, rolling her eyes as she stuffed some potato chips in her mouth.

I blushed a beet red. "No I did not! I was simply comforting a friend." Even I couldn't convince myself I was telling the truth.

Nico snorted. "Sure you were." I glared at Nico fiercely, making him cower. I smirked, _Even a child of Hades is afraid of my glare..._

"How 'bout we just roll with the punches? It's not like planing actually helped us the first time. Percy might even bring it up on his own." I considered Thalia's words.

"I guess."

"What do you guess?" A new voice interrupted our conversation. I turned to see Percy and Grover in the doorway. Grover had a vegetarian enchilada stuffed in his mouth, while Percy had an orange in his hand.

"I guess that you were there for only the last few seconds of our conversation, right?" I asked.

Percy shrugged and sat down on the floor by Thalia's couch. "You guess correctly. What were you guys talking about?" He started to peel the orange. Grover sat down next to Percy.

"Stuff..." I trailed off, not knowing which way we were approaching this situation. I didn't need to.

"By the way, I was wondering what you guys talking about when you said that 'you knew my secret' or something like that?" Percy raised an eyebrow. "Because obviously you weren't talking about being a demigod."

Everyone nervously looked around the room. "Um, okay. Look," Nico started off. "We were a little worried about you." Percy looked curious, but didn't interrupt. "A-and so-" I cut him off.

"And so we sorta went up to Rhode Island, your old home. **(I know Montauk is in Long Island and Long Island is in New York, but I'm just gonna keep it Rhode Island)** We met Grover there."**  
**

"Then when we came home, we started to watch and compare notes on what we thought was wrong. You just weren't the boy I remembered, Perce." Thalia said. Percy grimaced.

"When we finally had enough with not getting any answers... we uh, well we sorta followed you after school one day." admitted Grover sheepishly.

"So that's what I heard..." Percy raised an eyebrow at us, probably thinking of the many times we ran into things.

I nodded, embarrassed. "So we followed you into Bramford and..." I looked at pointedly at where Percy probably still had a bruise on his shoulder from where Gabe hit him.

His shoulders tensed and his green eyes grew slightly panicked. "You saw." It wasn't a question. I sighed sadly and nodded. He sucked in a sharp breath. "So that's what you guys were talking about." We all watched him, waiting for an outburst or something.

"Yeah, Perce, we saw." Grover said sadly.

"Please, Percy. You can't keep this in. Someone has to know! _We_ can't let this happen anymore!" Thalia pleaded.

Percy shook his head slightly. "You don't understand, Thals." His voice was broken, like the shattered remains of a mirror. "I don't have anyone else. My mom died, and I certainly can't go to my sire." I noticed that he didn't say the word, dad.

"You could come live with us, of course! We're your family, too!" Thalia insisted.

Percy sighed. "No, Thalia, I can't. I am under the age of eighteen and therefore can't switch permanent residence without my 'guardian's' permission. And there's no chance in Hades he'd let me go that easily."

I frowned. "Why not? He abuses you, so he can't like you all too much. No offense or anything!" I quickly added.

"Oh he doesn't like me, that's for sure." Percy resumed peeling his orange, not meeting any of our eyes. "But he does like the paycheck that comes in the mail every few weeks. Some kind of pact my mom made with the government, I think." Percy squirmed uncomfortably. "It's probably the only reason Gabe has kept me around."

My vision turned red. _How dare someone do this to Percy! I'm gonna kill Gabe. _I thought murderously. I felt my hands clench into fists. "I will kill him." I hissed under my breath. By the looks of the others, I could see that they were thinking the same thing.

I exhaled loudly, thinking of ways to get Percy out of this. "Percy," I started. "You can't move permanent residence without your _guardian's _permission, but you can if we bring the fact that your guardian is abusing you to court. We could get you set free from this monster if we win the case."

Percy snorted. "And then where would I go? I can't legally go to Thalia and Nico, they're minors, too. Plus I don't have any other living relatives."

Thalia scrunched her forehead in thought. "What if we use the Mist? Make it look like Nico and I are older than we really are?"

His black hair fell in his face as Percy shook his head. "No way. It would catch up to us eventually."

"Why don't you ask Poseidon for help?" Grover, the ever optimistic satyr, suggested.

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Like he helped oh so much before. He let my mom suffer from depression when he could've helped her, he let her d-die, and he didn't lift a finger when I went to live with Gabe. Why would he possibly help me now?" His voice was bitter, a tone I didn't like coming from him. _He should be happy, _I thought sadly, _Not bitter._

Grover sighed. "Right." We all slumped, stumped on the problem at hand.

Percy glanced at the clock and jumped. "Oh my gods! It's four?! I gotta go!" He was at the door in a flash. "Thank you guys," He said, turning his head to face us. "We'll figure this out, but I can't risk being late again. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Wait, Percy! Don't go back to Gabe! Stay!" Thalia pleaded.

"Sorry, Thals." He turned and sprinted out, leaving us stunned in the living room.

Thalia's bottom lip started to quiver. I never thought I'd see the day she'd cry. I stood up and hugged her. She started to shake, tears slowly streaking down her face. "H-he ca-can't go b-back. H-he'll be be-beat-ten."

Tears started to make their way down my face as well, the stress, frustration and utter despair for Percy getting to me. "I-I know, T-Thals. B-But Percy's Percy. He'll m-make it." I managed to stutter.

I felt another pair of arms wrap around us, holding us in a brotherly hug. "It's okay, you guys. Percy is the strongest person I know, if anyone can make it out of this mess, he can." Nico comforted, a slight waver in his words. I tightened my hold on Thalia with one arm as my other wound around Nico. I looked over my shoulder to see Grover staring at the floor, moisture threatening to fall in his brown eyes. I held my hand out to him, a silent offer of comfort. We made eye contact from across the room. He shakily got up and joined our group hug.

"W-we can do this, guys." Grover mumbled.

"Yeah, we c-can." Thalia agreed, trying to sound confident as she hugged us tighter.

"We can, and we will." Nico said.

We stayed that way for a while, taking comfort in each others presences. I finally pulled away. "We'll make it through this, but to do that we need to figure out a plan." The others nodded. "We need to bring this to court."

"We'll need evidence." Nico said.

"Lots of it." Thalia added.

"Are we going to get a lawyer?" asked Grover.

"Yes, I think we should. It's not like court would take a couple of sophomores seriously." My head swam with thought. "We would need evidence to show a lawyer first, a starter to make him or her believe us."

"I don't mean to be a downer, but how are we going to be able to afford a lawyer?" Grover nervously asked.

"Dude, I'm the son of Hades. You know, god of the Underworld and riches under the Earth?" Nico said. "I'm pretty sure I can come up with a few bars of gold."

"Tomorrow we should start." I said bluntly. "I would suggest we start tonight, but I don't think any of us are in a stable enough state of mind."

They nodded in agreement. Thalia turned to face me. "Why don't you call your dad, Annabeth? Ask if you can stay over, we can use the pull-out couch and stuff."

_Line Break~

"Annabeth, you know it's the only way!" Nico begged me.

I shook my head. "No! We've kept too many things from Percy. I hate doing this to him."

Nico sent a pleading look at Thalia. "Please, Thalia. You know Percy! He wouldn't let us see him weak, especially in pain!"

Thalia crossed her arms. "I think Annabeth's right. We've kept too much from Percy already, why should we keep it a secret that we're trying to help him?"

Grover cut in then. "Guys, Nico does raise a good point. Percy wouldn't allow us to see him in pain, I know him better than anyone else here." Grover sent Thalia an apologetic look when she seemed to flinch.

I tried to stand my ground, but the logic was working on me. Desperately, I played my last card. "How are we supposed to follow him without him knowing. He found out we're demigods, so he'll be suspicious if he hears just one sound."

Grover holds up his panpipes in response. I sighed, it made sense. I could see that Thalia also was defeated by the way her shoulders slumped.

Sadly, Thalia nodded. "Yeah, yeah, okay." A little fire came back into her eyes. "But after this, no more secrets." Everyone else couldn't agree more.

_Line Break~

It was ten when we finally settled down for the night. The stars shone brightly through the windows as I curled up in a blanket, exhausted from the day's events. As I felt the tendrils of sleep pull me to my dreams, I made a vow to Percy. _We will make it through this, Percy. You and me.__  
_

**Hello, so that is it for this chapter. I'm sorry it took me so long to update, I was really busy. Review if you'd like, there is no pressure. Same goes for following and stuff like that. I'll be updating as soon as I can, until then, take it easy. U got 2 get up 2 get down**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello, guys! Thanks for reviewing and following me! Kate, Haha, sorry that I made it so depressing, but hey, you got to get down to get up. Your comment really made me laugh! FangirlAlertWatchOut, I will definitely put more Percabeth in the story soon, but it would be a little weird if they suddenly start kissing out of the blue! :) Doughnutswilderness, Haha, thanks! It would be fun if it had a thumbs up button! Trystal, I will! Finally, Beeimahalblood, Thank you so much! Your compliment made me feel really good! Thank all of you guys so much for reading! I really appreciate your encouragement, and comments! Just as a head's up, there are going to be 'new' characters ;) in this chapter. I'm sure you'll all figure their true identities out soon enough, but I will say that they were all from the Percy Jackson books.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any of the characters. All rights go to Rick Riordan.**

**Percy's POV**

_They know. They know! _My thoughts ran like wildfire as I walked away from Thalia's apartment. I couldn't believe it. My two most guarded secrets were shared with four other people. Two of them were my cousins, so I guessed it was okay. One was my life-long friend, so that was fine, too. _But the last one? That Annabeth girl?_ I had known her for barely over a month! I couldn't trust her quite yet. The only thing that had kept me from a full panic-attack was the fact that they all were demigods, too. Just like me. I sighed and kicked a can as I walked down an alley. It clattered loudly down the alley. _Could I actually trust her? _I thought. I knew I wanted to. I really, really wanted to. _There is something about the way her hair shines in the light, like curly strands of gold. The way her eyes would sparkle and laugh, even when she tried to keep a straight face. The way she could get so lost in thought in a matter of seconds. Of course, _I thought dryly, _her mom is the goddess of wisdom._

I checked my watch and cursed in ancient Greek. I was reallly, really late! Gabe wouldn't like that! I started jogging, trying to stay at a regular mortals pace. I sprinted up the steps to Bramford's front door. I quickly pulled out my key and entered after unlocking the door. I flew up the flights of stairs, only to stop dead right outside my door. I didn't want to go in. Not when I knew exactly what was waiting for me. I sighed, _It's not like I have a choice._

Slowly I entered the apartment and waited for the pain to begin. Nothing happened. I sucked in a breath. This was not normal. I slowly took out Riptide, my ballpoint pen that transforms into a sword, out of my pocket. I had gotten Riptide when I started at Camp Half-Blood. Chiron had said it was a gift from my father, and at first I was mad. Furious, actually. I didn't understand how my 'father' could let my mother suffer such pain, then have the nerve to think that a stupid old sword made up for it. I had refused it and trained with other weapons. Of course, when there was a lose hellhound during one of the capture-the-flag games, I had to use it to kill it. Then I guess it just sorta stuck with me, I trained with it for quite a few years till I had nearly mastered it.

I crept around the corner of the kitchen, just waiting for something to jump out at me. My ADHD made me want to start charging through the apartment, but I controlled it with some difficulty. As I stepped over the empty bear bottles and moldy, pizza boxes, I couldn't help but think about how disgusting that place was. _Where is Gabe? He should be here with his poker buddies by now. _I thought anxiously. Gabe wouldn't have missed out on a game unless something really major happened. I sucked in a deep breath when I saw a bear bottle roll around the corner. Something was in there, and I doubted it was Gabe. My hands, steady from years of practice and experience, uncapped Riptide. With my glowing, bronze sword ready, I swiftly turned the corner.

I sucked in a silent breath. With their backs turned, was a group of eight warriors. Definitely demigods. They were all dressed in dark clothes and had sharp swords in their hands. I backed up, suddenly nervous. Yeah, I got a few weeks of training and did a lot on my own, but I was still pretty inexperienced when fighting other demigods. _I hate fighting other half-bloods. _I thought grimly as I steadied my nerves. _Plus they seem pretty experienced. _I quickly looked around the corner again. They all were taller and better built than I was, so I was guessing older too. _Although, _I thought nervously, _didn't I see eight? Why are there only six. _I shrugged it off, probably my ADHD brain.

I was about to attack, trying to keep the element of surprise on my side. It was the only way to get them out of the apartment. I was a little unsettled, were they looking for me? _Of course they were! What are the odds that six heavily armed demigods what just happen to show up at my apartment the one day there isn't a mortal present? _I was so distracted by my thoughts that I had accidently pushed a button on my phone somehow and it was calling someone. I cursed as it started ringing, so not good for a sneak attack. I was so busy trying to shut it off that I didn't notice the two missing demigods sneaking up behind me. That is, until my arms were yanked together behind my back and I was forced to my knees. I yelled out in surprise, but one of the demigods simply slapped his hand over my mouth. The other six came around the corner. I could feel a tight cord being wrapped securely around my wrists and upper arms. I glared up at the six in front of me, but didn't say anything.

"What," The lead demigod asked mockingly. "No, 'Who are you?' or 'What do you want?'" He grinned.

I smirked slightly. "Nope." I popped my 'p'. "I assumed you would tell me anyway. Why waste my breath?"

The demigod smirked. "I like you, or hate you." He shrugged nonchalantly. "My name is Nat Klue." He threw his hood back to reveal a cruel face. He had short blond hair and icy blue eyes. His most prominent feature was a scar on the side of his face. "My companions will introduce themselves when we get back."

My eyes narrowed. "Back where?"

Nat smiled, and laughed evilly. "Back to the base, of course." Then everything went dark so fast that I barely noticed that my phone had fallen out of my pocket and on to the floor where it was hidden by trash.

_Line Break~

**Annabeth's POV  
**

I was getting anxious. _Where is Percy? _I kept thinking over and over. It was Tuesday morning and Thalia, Grover, Nico and I had all been waiting by Percy's locker for him. We still needed to talk and figure out how to win our court case. I glanced nervously at the clock, seven more minutes until homeroom.

"Where is he?" Thalia finally broke the silence. She scanned the hallways.

"I don't get it." Mumbled Grover. "His emotions were a little scattered yesterday, but it wasn't something that would keep him home. Especially with Gabe." He ended venomously.

I looked around. "Has anyone heard from Percy since we last saw him?" Our group shared anxious looks and shook their heads. "Okay, let's all check our phones then, to start off." I ordered as I whipped out my cell phone. No message. I looked at the others. Grover shook his head as he put his phone back in his bag. Nico also shook his head. I turned towards Thalia, and instantly was filled with concern. She was as pale as a sheet of paper. She held her blue phone in shaking hands. I took a step towards her, about to ask what was wrong, but she shook her head and pointed outside. I nodded and followed her to Percy and my tree.

As so as we got there Nico rushed over to Thalia. "You okay there, Thals?"

Again she shook her head. Instead of answering our unspoken questions, she pressed a button on her phone. Immediately I knew it was a voice message. "I like you, or hate you. My name is Nat Klue." Said an icy cold voice. "My companions will introduce themselves when we get back." My heart stuttered. _What was this man talking about? _My eyes met the just as frantic glances of my friends. _What was going on?_

A new voice was heard, one I instantly recognized as Percy. "Back where?" His voice was strong and held power. It was the voice I imagined the non-abused Percy would have.

The man's, or Nat's I supposed, laugh echoed through the receiver. "Back to the base, of course." Then there was a thump, like something hitting the floor. We all looked at each other in alarm.

A silky, melodious voice danced from the phone. "Nat, he's out cold. The drugs should keep him under for a day or two. We're going on a plane, right?"

Nat seemed to sigh. "No, Aura, we can't fly. He's the son of Poseidon, remember? We can't take him in the air without getting blown to bits."

"Oh, right." Aura said. "So, how are we getting back to base, then?"

"We take a train for the first half. Then we'll take a car the rest of the way."

"A limo, right?"

Nat let out an irritated groan. "No we aren't taking a limo! We're trying to keep a low profile!"

Aura snorted, "Like one limo would attract that much attention."

"We aren't taking any chances with this mission. We can't risk failing this one, it is key."

A new voice piped up. "It's true, Aura. Just deal with it for two days!" This voice was impish and mischievous.

The voices started to grow fainter. The last thing we heard was Aura, "Shut it, Los."

We all stared at each other dumbly, all wondering the same thing. _What happened to Percy?_ My mind went into over-drive. _What happened to Percy? What were those names? Nat Klue, Aura and Los. How many were there? When was the message recorded? They said a train and a car, obviously they're traveling a long distance to their base. Where is their base? Los said Aura would have to suck it up for two days. Two days, one on the train one in a car since Nat said they'd cut it in half. _The less sensible side of me was screaming bloody murder. _Those bastards better not have touched Percy! I swear, I will find them and make them pay. _I could feel rage start to cloud my vision. I tried to clear my head, but all I could think about was how much I hated Nat and all the rest. _I will kill them! Let them endure the Fields of Punishment!_ My mind racing, I gently (as I could) took Thalia's phone out of her frozen hand. I glanced at the phone long enough to see that the message was recorded 5:00pm yesterday. _That means that Nat, Aura, Los and whoever else was with them had about a fourteen hour head-start... _My thoughts continued to sprint around and around.

"Percy..." The soft whisper of Percy's name escaped Thalia's lips. "P-Percy... no. No, no, no, no!" Thalia suddenly unfroze and started pacing furiously. "We gotta get him back, we gotta save him!"

Grover looked broken. "Thalia... we don't even-"

"SHUT UP! I don't give a CRAP what we 'don't even'! I don't give a _freaking_ crap!" All eyes snapped to Thalia, surprised by the sudden hostility. She herself looked surprised. "I-I'm so sorry, Grover! I didn't mean to say that! I-I was just mad and scared and I...-" She gazed pleadingly into Grover's soft brown eyes.

He nodded gently. "I get it, Thalia. I shouldn't have been so insensitive." I smiled at the warmth and sincerity in his voice.

"T-Thanks, Grover." Thalia sighed and turned to face all of us. "What I was trying to say before, was that I'm not going to stop until my cousin is safe with me. I don't give a crap**(Sorry, didn't want to curse)** about what anyone else says. I'm going to find him, save him and kick whoever kidnapped him to Tartarus." Her electric blue eyes gleamed dangerously. "Those people are going to face the power of the sky."

Nico, who had been quietly standing in the back of our group, spoke up. "And I'll help you, Thalia. Whoever hurts my cousin, I don't care who it is, _will_ face the wrath of the Underworld." He spoke quietly, but viciously.

I nodded in consent without hesitation. "I will help you. I already have some facts from the voice message, those demigods just made an enemy of wisdom."

"Don't forget about the strength of the Wild." Grover chimed in.

_Line Break~

Thalia, Nico, Grover and I sat nervously at our lunch table. We hadn't known if we would be telling the others about Percy's abuse, but our situation called for as much help as we could get. For some reason, my emotions were still slightly out of control. _How dare they even touch Percy! MY Percy! MY Seaweed Brain! _I was slightly comforted, if not for a second, with the use of Percy's nickname. I had called him that once when we were doing our homework under our tree. I remembered the cute little face he made when he was confused. After twenty minutes of enduring his cute looks and pleads for help, I finally caved and helped him. That was the first time I called him 'Seaweed Brain' and the first time he called me 'Wise Girl' after a while they just stuck. _And now I could never hear them again. _I thought, then, _No! Bad Annabeth, don't think like that! Percy is going to be fine. We'll rescue him, then kill those demigods._

"Hey guys, why are you so glum lookin'?" The joyful voice of Leo pulled us out of our thoughts.

"Oh, hey Leo." I said, trying to seem as normal as possible.

I obviously failed because Leo put down his sandwich and leaned towards us. "Hey, are you guys okay? Seriously?" His voice was now serious, a rare occasion for Leo.

Thalia swallowed. "We have something to tell you, but we need to wait till the rest of the gang gets here." Leo raised an eyebrow, still serious.

Five minutes into lunch, our gang all appeared. Piper and Jason were second after Leo. They were smiling and holding hands, I didn't want to ruin their afternoon. Then there was Hazel and Frank, followed by a stone-faced Reyna. She turned even more cold when she noticed Jason's arm slung lovingly around Piper's shoulders. They all started to talk about their day, completely unaware that Thalia, Nico, Grover and I were on edge the entire time. By the middle of lunch I couldn't take it anymore. Someone had to tell them.

"Guys, we have something to tell you." Everyone turned to look at me. I gulped.

Hazel leaned towards me. "Of course, Annabeth."

"Is something wrong?" Piper asked, her eyes worried.

Thalia sighed. "Nothing's wrong with us. But there is something wrong with Percy."

"What do you mean?" said the concerned voice of Jason. He was obviously worried about his sister and cousin.

"It's gonna take a little while to explain." I said, rubbing my temples. I blew out a big breath. "Okay, where to start?" I glanced at Thalia for help.

She blew out a breath. "Okay, so you know how we thought something was wrong with Percy a month or so back?" The gang nodded, slightly confused. "Well we were right. Something was, and still is wrong."

"What is it?" Frank asked, his eyebrows bunched up in concern.

Nico took a deep breath, "Percy... Percy... is a demigod!" I cursed Nico under my breath. Leave it to him to chicken-out.

Reyna raised an arrogant eyebrow. "Being a demigod is wrong? How so?" Her voice was cold, just like her eyes.

"That, is not what we were going to say." I cast a look towards Nico, who shrunk back. "Yes, Percy is a demigod, but there is nothing wrong with being a demigod. It is the fact that Percy is... abused." I scanned my friends' faces. Leo, his usual happy, care-free face was dark. I realized that Leo must've met some people like that in his run-away days. Piper was starting to shake, the shock slowly melting, becoming sadness and anger. She turned into Jason's chest, trying to muffle a sob that escaped her. Jason wasn't much better. He circled Piper in a fierce hug, almost like he was trying to assure himself that Piper was still there. Hazel was clinging onto Frank who also had his arms wrapped around her. Hazel was muttering under her breath, while Frank whispered to her. Reyna was frozen. Her eyes wide with shock that hadn't completely worn off.

Piper turned to face us, her eyes were red. "H-how bad?"

I grimaced as Thalia gulped. "Bad. Really, really bad." I said, not wanting to think of the beating we had witnessed. Jason hugged Piper as tears slowly ran down her face. I knew we were al thinking of those child abuse reports in the news.

"I'm g-guessing i-it was G-Gabe." Hazel said, her hand clutched tightly onto Frank's.

Grover nodded sadly.

"How long?" Leo asked, his voice uneven. I sighed, I didn't want to answer that question.

"Percy has been abused for as long as he lived with Gabe, I think." Grover said, his voice filling with hatred.

"Which would be around three years then." Reyna said. When I looked into her eyes, I saw a cold detachment, like three years of harsh abuse didn't impress her.

"Yes, three years of getting beaten to the brink of unconsciousness and possibly even death, _every_ day." I replied sharply. "Which would be around," I mocked Reyna's voice, "one thousand ninety-five and seventy-three hundredths days." She gaped at me, clearly not expecting that. I would usually be surprised at the venom in my own voice too, I was always the cool, calm and collected one of the group, but that time, I was not. _We are talking about Percy, my Percy. No one is going mock him in such a hurtful, detached way. _I bit my lip as I thought this. What was happening to me?

Jason turned to Reyna in a burst of anger. "Reyna! Don't you dare talk about my cousin like it doesn't matter that he was abused for three years!" My respect for Jason Grace just had sky-rocketed. I could tell by the look Piper gave him, that Piper was just as proud. Jason shrugged when he saw his girlfriend look at him like that, like he was saying _I should've done that a long time ago. _He then proceeded to kiss her on the nose.

As I looked around at everyone else's face, I was surprised by the amount of emotion they felt. Hazel looked about ready to go murder Gabe, while one glance at Frank told me that he would help. Piper had her eyes clenched shut, her hands fisted by her side. The way she was muttering under her breath let me know that she wasn't going to stop until Gabe was begging for mercy. The fire in Jason's usually calm blue eyes, gave me enough of a hint to know what he planned to do. Even Reyna had her face set in a angered scowl. I realized then that they had grown close to Percy in the time he had been here. I had just been to preoccupied to see it.

"But you see, we need to tell you something else. We found this out this morning." I said. Everyone's head jerked towards me, their eyes still filled with barely controlled anger. "Listen to this." I gestured at Thalia.

Thalia had already gotten her phone out. The gang swiveled to look at her as she pressed a button on her phone. The message was replayed. I watched my friend's reactions carefully. They all went through a series of emotions, but the ending result was the same. Rage.

We all just looked at each other for a few minutes, our friends trying to process the information while Thalia, Nico, Grover and I tried to accept it. After a while I spoke up. "We need your help. Please." My voice broke pathetically, "We need to get Percy back."

Piper was the first to get over her shock. "Of course we'll help! We love Percy, too." Even though her voice was quiet, it made all the difference. It was true, they loved Percy as well. I had been too busy to notice as the looks they gave Percy went from polite, to friendly, to brotherly/sisterly loving. The rest of the group must've felt the same empathy, because they were looking at each other in a different light.

I smiled, "Im not one to ditch, but I think Percy is a little more important then end-of the year studying."

"Of course Percy is!" Thalia exclaimed. "Why don't we all go over to Nico and my apartment, and we can figure this out? And more importantly, figure out how to get my cousin back!"

We left without a second thought.

_Line Break~

By ten at night, we had most of it figured out. With a few Iris-messages to Chiron and even a few gods, we knew that Nat Klue, Aura and Los used to be campers at Camp Half-Blood. Their story was twisted and hard to follow, but that was why we had decided to go to Camp Half-Blood the next day. To Hades with school, it's not like we couldn't make up the work anyway. Chiron had agreed to tell us their story in full, when we got there. I could tell he was curious as to why we were asking, but I told him we would explain when we got to camp.

By eleven at night, we had concluded, that it would be easier not to tell our mortal parents. They would try only try to stop us, and we didn't need them on our backs while we chased after Percy. Usually my rational side would be screaming at me, yelling at what an idiot I was for pulling this stunt. But, it wasn't. Not that time, because it knew that Percy was more important to me than anything else. I would run across all seven continents for my Seaweed Brain. I fight any half-blood, monster, god or titan for him. I don't know how, but I knew Percy would do it for me, too. That was the night I realized I was in love with Percy Jackson.

_Line Break~ **Percy's POV**

As I was bounced around in a dark, small space, I realized just how scary this was. I didn't know when I could see daylight again, I didn't know when I could sneak out to the beach again, I didn't know when I could visit my mother's grave again. I missed Thalia and her strong personality, I missed Nico and his quiet strength. I missed Grover and his optimistic personality. I missed Piper with her gentle, yet strong attitude. I missed Jason and his calm demeanor. I missed Hazel with her loving and caring eyes. I missed Frank with his beliefs and strength. I missed Leo and his funny, care-free personality. Hades, I even missed Reyna and her snappy remarks. Most of all, though, I missed Annabeth. Her beautiful, grey eyes that shined with intelligence. Her blond hair that turned gold in the sun. Her athletic build, and sweet smile. Her strong, individual character that made her who she was. I missed her light laugh that lifted anyone's spirit. I missed Annabeth. It was then, in the little box I was shoved into, my wrists and arms still bound, that I realized that I was in love with Annabeth Chase. The scariest part, was that I didn't know if I would ever be able to tell her.

_Line Break~

**Hello. Sorry that I sort of rushed Annabeth and Percy's love life. I needed to get it established. Again, thank you very much for the reviews. You don't have to review if you don't want to, but you are welcome to as well. I hope this chapter was satisfactory. I'm sorry about the change in the plot, but I really wanted to make this different from the other abuse stories. It will still come around to the abuse in the end, but I wanted to put some action in the middle. As I said before, Nat Klue and his little group, _are_ people from the books. I didn't make them up, just their new names. I'm sure you all will figure their identities out, but I love a little mystery! Thank you again for reviewing, and following! Take it easy, U got 2 get down 2 get up**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello! Thank you for reading! AustinWritesThePJBooks, Thanks! I don't plan to stop writing anytime soon, especially after your comment! Thank you for your request! ChiVall, I'd love to tell you everything, but I probably shouldn't seeing that everyone could read it. Although I suppose it's safe to admit that yes, one of them is Luke. On the Ethan Nakamura part, well I can't reveal all my secrets... Sorry. ebookboss121, I'm really happy you like it, although I am sorry it this story makes you cry... I'm glad that you don't think percabeth is rushed, I was really hoping it wouldn't be! Kate, Haha, sorry, Percy... :) I'm glad you like the Percabeth moments, I think they're a great couple. I will definitely consider your idea of Annabeth saving Percy. I love cliched moments, they make life more interesting! I will update as much as I can, Thank you! Finally, Beeimahalfblood, Haha, your comments always make me smile! They will be starting their mission soon, and it's okay to fangirl uncontrollably! :) By the way, ChiVall, I will give you, and everyone reading, a hint: All of the names I made up, they are connected somehow to the original name. ;) Good luck! Thank you guys for reviewing, it is highly appreciated!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any of the characters, all rights belong to Rick Riordan**

**Thalia's POV  
**

It was dead silent in the car. No one spoke, all to absorbed in our own thoughts. I hadn't even turned on the radio, which was a rare occasion for me. _Percy, why does it happen to you? Why do you, of all people in this messed up, crazy world, why do you have to hold this burden? How can you be strong enough to hold the weight of the world on your shoulders while still forcing yourself to live? While still forcing yourself to breath, and move forward? _I grimaced, I would never be that strong.

"Guys, get ready, we're almost there." Annabeth's voice snapped me out of my stupor. _What? Right, right, talk to Chiron._I sighed heavily at the thought of listening to some, long, meaningless story when I _should_ be chasing my cousin to wherever Nat Klue was taking him. I would've just refused to listen to him and stormed off to Percy, but unfortunately the logic was working on me. The more I knew about these half-bloods, the easier it would be to track them down to wherever they were.

_I won't lose Percy, not again. _I thought as I trudged up the hill with my duffle bag. Stuffed in the bag were all the necessities I need for a quest, minus Aegis which was around my wrist. **(I know Aegis is just a shield, but I think I will put it as a shield and spear because it would take to long to explain both weapons separately)** It contained a sleeping mat, nectar, ambrosia, regular food, mood, drachmas and a map. I had already lost him once. (When he had moved in with Gabe no one told me where he went, I would've called the police if Percy hadn't called every few weeks.)

"Ah, welcome, children." I looked up sharply to meet the timeless eyes of my teacher, Chiron. I was a little annoyed with the "children" remark, but I figured the sooner we got this over, the sooner we'd find Percy.

"Chiron, it's great to see you again." Annabeth commented as she quickly hugged him. I nodded respectfully, not wasting time. The others followed my example. **(I'm just pretending that Hazel, Jason, Reyna, Hazel and Frank all started off there.)**

"Well," Chiron started gravely, "I know that you are all anxious to get on your way, so we won't waste time with pleasantries." He started walking off towards the big house. We followed closely behind as he started his story of Nat Klue. "Ah, Nat Klue, where to start?"

"How 'bout from the beginning?" Leo asked, trying to lighten the mood, if not slightly.

"Of course, Leo." Chiron smiled down from where his centaur form towered over us. "Nat Klue came to this camp when he was about ten years old. **(I don't no how old the original character was... sorry. If you're trying to guess who he is, don't go by age!)** He was an exceptional warrior, and seemed to excel at everything. His best fighting skill, however, was with a sword. I had never seen such an natural ease. He was a true swordsman. As the months passed by, Nat became restless. He wanted a quest of his own you see, a way to prove himself to the gods. Especially his father."

"Who was his father?" Annabeth asked.

Chiron looked at her sadly. "All in due time, child." He looked grave and sad, like he was being forced to keep a secret. He cleared his throat. "Anyway, when Nat turned thirteen, he finally got a quest. He completed it, but with some difficulty. He was scarred, forever reminded of what he had to do for the gods. As he grew older, his resentment grew as well. By the age of sixteen he had a full-blown hatred brewing inside. By then, a few other campers had felt it too. Nat was quite popular back then, his followers were extremely loyal." Chiron sighed, and opened the door to the Big House. We all filed in, waiting for the next part. Chiron stood behind the ping-pong table as us demigods sat down in chairs. "I'm not certain when this happened, but we have found out in the two years he's been gone, that Nat had received a dream from the titan lord."

Everyone gasped, knowing exactly who this "titan lord" was. Annabeth muttered, "Kronos." The room seemed to darken, and it felt like it dropped a few degrees. Chiron nodded gravely.

"Yes, Annabeth. Nat immediately was on his side, bitter from the years of being ignored by his father. He didn't see the world as a stage to act and thrive, instead he saw an old stage to be torn down. Nat was loyal to _him_, doing anything and everything to exact revenge on the gods. He soon was able to convince his loyal followers to come to his side of thinking. This resulted on a fierce battle between our own campers. In the end, Nat took his remaining followers and disappeared. We have been able to rebuild in the last two years without him, but it is hard. Some of Nat's followers were very close to the people in this camp, and my campers still grieve for their lost family members."

"So, it was like brother turned on brother?" Frank asked, stunned.

Hazel took his hand and gently squeezed it. "Like the Civil War." Chiron nodded.

Annabeth looked deep in thought. "Chiron, who were the people who left with Nat? I don't remember Nat enough to know his friends."

Chiron sighed, "They were great campers. All special in their own ways, and all dangerous. There was Nat Klue, the leader of the group, Aura Nelia, an expert pegasus rider and a skilled spy, and Los Ira, a mischievous young man. There was also Roz Shri, a warrior to say the least, Sam Kea, an unbelievable mechanic and Mak Haten, a boy who always kept to himself. Anna Red, a persuasive charm speaker who specializes in manipulation, and Cert Ele, an experienced and deadly archer. There are many others, but they are the most connected to camp."

"How so?" I surprised myself by asking the question. I wanted to find Percy so badly, but I also needed to figure out these suspicious characters. I needed to know how to defeat them.

"Well, Nat had connections everywhere and had been quite influential to everyone. Aura Nelia had been the head counselor of the Aphrodite Cabin and had dated the head counselor of the Hephaestus cabin. Most are surprised he didn't side with his girlfriend." Chiron added as an afterthought. "Los Ira was very close to his cabin mates. Especially his twin brother. Those two did everything together, from causing trouble with the Demeter cabin to fleeing the scence afterwards. I never thought he would go." Our camp activities director looked sad and depressed. "As for Roz Shri, he was in the same cabin as Los. He had a girlfriend who was a fierce, independent fighter. They were very close and had been through many things together. Although they seemed like a perfect couple, it's not hard to believe that she choose what she thought was right over her boyfriend. No matter what people say about her, she'll make the right decisions in the end. Anna Red was, how would children put it? A flirt? Anyway, she was quite aware she was beautiful thanks to her mother Aphrodite. SHe used her beauty as a weapon, since she really can't handle anything else. Finally Cert Ele. He was head of the Apollo cabin for a while, but stepped down for Michael Yew eventually."

"What about Sam Kea and Mak Haten?" Nico asked, his foot was tapping.

"I'm getting to that. Sam Kea was in the Hephaestus cabin. He was a brilliant mechanic and could build practically anything and everything out of anything and everything."

Leo raised his eyebrow at the sentence but didn't comment.

"Finally, Mak Haten. He was unclaimed, therefore he was put into the Hermes cabin. I assume that is where Nat met him. Mak didn't have a very big connections that I know of, but he is quiet with everything he does, and I wouldn't be surprised if he had just as many connections as Nat does." Chiron finished.

"Chiron," Annabeth started. "Do you mind if we meet them? Personally?" He nodded and was about to say something before I cut in.

"No!" I practically yelled. Every blinked at me in confusion except Nico who obviously was following my train of thought. "No way! We're not wasting anymore time here when Percy could be halfway across the country by now!" Nico nodded in agreement.

"Thalia, we don't even know where he's going. We need to find out before we go blindly searching the entire USA." Annabeth reasoned.

I shook my head firmly. "No, we've wasted too much time. They already had a good head start without our little road trip up to camp. Now they're a good day and a quarter ahead of us."

"Look," Nico joined in. "It's good to know our enemy, but we can't let them get so far ahead of us. We already know that Nat's trip to his base would take two days. That means that it's probably on the other side of the country, most likely a dangerous place for demigods."

"Wait, wait, wait." Leo said, shaking his hands in the air. "Why would their base be in a place where it's dangerous for half-bloods? They're demigods, too."

"But," Annabeth said quietly. "They are sided with a titan. Which would guarantee them safe passage to the most dangerous place for us." Something clicked in her brain and her head snapped up. "Which would be in California, the farthest place from New York, also Mount Olympus, besides Hawaii or Alaska. And it would take more than two days to get to either of those states without a plane."

"So they've gotta be heading somewhere in California!" Jason summed up nicely. He hugged Piper to his side.

"Yes, they're going to California, but where more specifically?" Hazel muttered, her eyes lowered in thought.

Annabeth was quiet for a minute or two, but then her eyes flashed with comprehension. "Where is the most dangerous place in California?" She asked.

"For demigods?" Chiron said. "Anywhere can be quite infested with monsters."

"Yes, but there has to be a certain place where it is worse than the others, right?" Annabeth pressed.

"I suppose so..." Chiron trailed off.

Annabeth sighed. "Mount Tam is. It is a sacred place to the Marin Country, therefore it has a natural power essence that draws monster's attention. Since it is 2,574 feet high, it would also make a great base for a certain Nat Klue. What warrior _wouldn't_ want the high grounds?" She quiets for a minute. "It makes sense." I wanted to ask why _exactly_ she knew those trivial things, but at that point I didn't really care to much.

Chiron grimaced. "Bad things have been rumored to happen there, children. If you are to go there, be warned, it is not a pleasant place for a demigod.

"We already knew that, Chiron." Annabeth said gently. "We know the risks of being a half-blood, we've all lived with them."

"Will you all go?" Chiron inquired. We exchanged glances.

"Nine half-bloods and a satyr will attract many monsters." Jason stated plainly.

"We could split up into groups of three like regular quests, and Grover could go with one of them." Hazel suggested.

"Who would go with who, then?" Leo asked nervously. "No offense guys, but if we don't make the right groups, well we're going to be pretty useless."

"Leo is right, chose wisely with who you travel with. It could be fatal." Chiron advised gravely. "I must attend to other matters, but if you decide to meet Nat, Aura, Los, Roz, Mak and Sam's connections, they are all at camp." He gave us all a hug and trotted nervously out the door.

"Well guys, what should we do?" Nico sighed.

"I think we should split into the three groups Hazel suggested. Two of the groups should head out towards Mount Tam. One group should remain here and meet Nat's connections. I think each group should know each other well, too." Annabeth said.

"Yes, but who should be in what group?" I asked, slightly annoyed.

Annabeth met everyone's stares. "We aren't trying to do this dramatically, stealth is our greatest weapon right now. We'd be on their home turf, and I don't want to take chances. Jason, Thalia, Nico and Hazel are all children of the Big Three. Therefore they will attract the most monsters. Do we want to band them all together and try a distraction, the most powerful fighting the most monsters? Or do we want to spread out the power, attracting less monsters, but not having a major group of defense?" I stared at her. _Only a child of Athena..._

Leo looked a little lost. "What if we had our original groups?" Seeing our confused faces he continued. "I mean, Beauty Queen, Sparky and I were originally in the same group for our first quest. Well, Piper and mine, anyway. We ended up completing our quest successfully. Hazel, Frank and Percy were another original group, but Percy isn't here right now. I would normally suggest Reyna, but having a group of all Romans wouldn't be a good idea, since you know, we're trying to be inter-mythology here. So if we put Grover with Hazel and Frank, we'd have some Camp Half-Blood in there."

"And that would leave Reyna, Thalia, Nico and me." Annabeth said, with a frown. "I don't think that's the greatest idea to put so many leaders in the same group."

"We're all leaders here, Annabeth." Jason pointed out.

"I meant more like, headstrong-has-to-be-Alpha, leaders." She explained. I shrugged in agreement.

"True." Leo consented.

I groaned. "What if we think way, way back? Annabeth, Grover and I were all traveling together at the beginning." **(No Luke, he has his own story in this story)**

"Yeah, but what about Leo and I?" Piper asked. "Our first quest was with Jason, and his first was probably with Reyna." Jason looked slightly ashamed as he wrapped Piper in a hug which she returned half-heartedly.

"Then we would pair you guys with a more powerful demigod. Preferably a Roman, to give some "inter-mythology" as Leo put it." Annabeth replied. "How about you and Leo are in the four people group? You, Leo, Hazel and Nico? We'd have a balance between the two camps."

"But that would mean that there is a full Roman and a full Greek team." Nico pointed out.

Annabeth sighed and rubbed her hands over her face. "Of course there's another problem." She muttered under her breath. "There can't be a perfect fit." Louder she said. "Look, we obviously aren't going to come to an agreement. Why don't we ask the Oracle?"

Jason turned white. "Please tell me you mean Rachel, not that shriveled up thing in the attic."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Of course I mean Rachel. The spirit of Delphi is in her now, not the mummy." She rolled her eyes again and walked out the door.

_Line Break~

We quickly traveled to Rachel's cave up in the hill by the sea. I could see her sitting there, probably waiting for us. It was kinda creepy how she did that. Once we got close enough, she met our stares with her knowing gaze of her own. She smiled sadly and waved at us.

"Rachel." Annabeth smiled and hugged her friend as we finally stood in front of her. They had grown close over the years and now were good friends.

"Hey Annabeth." Before anyone could speak, Rachel held up her hand. "I know why you guys are here. You want to go on a quest to save Perseus Jackson from Nat Klue." We were all stunned for a second or two.

"That's right." I finally broke the silence. "Can you give us a prophecy? We're running a bit late on time."

She looked at me, her green eyes piercing as ever. "You must split into three groups first. I cannot give a prophecy to so many. Besides, you were going to split into three groups anyway, right?"

Annabeth nodded. "Yes, we were. But we couldn't figure out what groups to split into."

Rachel looked the slightest bit exasperated. "Right." She sighed then closed her eyes and concentrated. Soon green mist started swirling around Rachel, giving her a mysterious air. When she opened her eyes they were a glassy green instead of her usual bright piercing green.

"There shall be three groups for this quest

None will be better than the rest.

One shall be lead by the daughter of the sky,

Her group will be all girls, not one guy.

The other will be lead by the daughter of intelligence

her group won't have easy balance

The last group shall be lead by the daughter of war

they will learn about the enemy to the core

Out of the friends, there will be only one

who has a chance at saving Poseidon's son

_Line Break~

**Percy's POV**

So, if you have a free weekend, or even week, try doing something fun. Like going to a fair, or maybe a visit to the beach. Hades, even babysitting your little cousin would be better than what I was doing at the time. What was I doing? Nothing, simply waiting. Waiting for Nat and his cronies to let me out of that stupid box. Waiting for some information about what was going on. Waiting for a chance to escape. Waiting for anything to happen. I had been stuck in that box for hours on end, if it wasn't for the fact that I was jostled every few seconds, I would've lost all sense. I hated it there, being stuck inside some small, little crate. Small spaces and I just didn't mix. I wanted to be free, to be able to run and swing my sword. I wanted to feel wind in my face and be able to move as I pleased. Instead I was shoved in this cramped position, and surrounded by darkness. Darkness that seemed to be waiting to crush me in this small place. The walls waiting to slowly move inward, smashing me into a Percy Pancake. I'm not claustrophobic at all.

I breathed in deeply. _Guess this is one of the downfalls of being a son of Poseidon, I hate being restrained and confined. Okay, time to regroup._ I thought, then winced at how much it seemed that I was talking to myself. _Okay, so I'll start by listing the facts... that'll help. _I tried to keep my sanity. _Nat Klue and at least seven other demigods are behind this. They knocked me out, I'm not sure how. Nat has blonde hair, blue eyes and a scar on his face. None of the others lifted their hoods. They are taking me to their base. I have no idea where or what their base is. I'm not sure if their working for someone or independently._ I groaned in frustration, off to a great start as always.

_Line Break~

It had been at least a few more hours before whatever I was in slowed. I had been transferred from a train before (I could tell from the sound) and I really didn't want to have to go through the process again. They had dropped me quite a few times. Thankfully, this time Nat and his cronies didn't transfer me onto another vehicle. Unfortunately they still carried me. It felt like I was being carried up a slope, but it was a little hard to tell.

"Put him right here, Sam and Cert." The icy, unmistakable voice of Nat Klue rang out. I was roughly set down. By the crunch, I suspected I most be on top of rocks, or gravel of some sort.

"He must be awake by now." A silky, smooth voice stated off to my left.

"Of course he is, the drug wore off a day or so ago." Nat replied. Then, "Bring him out."

The sound of several locks being unlocked filled the air, then the top was lifted off and a bright light shown down. I squinted for a few seconds, trying to get used to the light. Once my eyes adjusted, I was met by the sight of two pairs of eyes staring down at me. One was the icy gaze of Nat. The other person also had blue eyes, but they were a much more feminine.

"Get up." Was all that Nat said.

Slowly, I rose from the box, finally able to stretch after so long. As I looked around I was able to see that we were on top of a mountain. The mountain itself radiated ancient power. I scanned the area. There was a large pile of ruble, that once might've been a castle of some sorts and a jagged cliff leading off to no where. But that wasn't what caught my attention. The swirling mass of what looked like a contained thunderstorm did. **(Sorry, I don't really know a lot about this place so I'm just using my imagination. If I get this wrong, I am very sorry and you can imagine it whatever way you like) **I wasn't the greatest at ancient Greek mythical places, but even I knew this one. I was standing on top of Mount Othrys, Atlas's home. Technically I was on top of Mount Tam, but the danger was the same. I was looking at Atlas's burden, the sky.

I stared at the mass of grey swirling clouds for a few minutes, simply taking it in. Finally, I recovered my wits. I turned towards Nat and the others who had silently moved behind me, making a semi-circle around me. "You said that your companions would introduce themselves when we got to the base, correct Nat?" I asked looking at him dead in the eyes.

He chuckled, a dark evil sound. "Yes I did, and I do stand by my words." He gestured for the others to continue for him.

The one on the far left stepped forward. She drew back her hood to reveal a beautiful face. She was obviously Asian, her hair was black and her skin was a golden mix. Her eyes were a dark brown and were slanted the slightest bit, giving her an air of ancient power. All in all, she was most likely a daughter of Aphrodite. "My name is Anna Red." Her voice was the silky one I had heard before. She stepped back, but left her hood down.

The person next to her stepped forward. She lifted her hood and again I was stunned by her sheer beauty. She had a shiny blond hair and the feminine blue eyes I had looked into when the lid of my box was first opened. **(The description of Aura's original character differs. I put this down to her mother's powers. If your trying to guess, don't go by looks for Aura)** "My name is Aura Nelia." Judging from looks alone, I could tell that both Anna and Aura were both daughters of Aphrodite.

The person to Aura's right stepped up then. He flicked his hood off showing his elf-like face. He was grinning with a mischievous look in his blue eyes. His brown hair was curly and he was tall and lanky. " Name's Los Ira. Nd just as an FYI, Los is the first name, Ira is the last name. Just in case you got confused." He winked and laughed at my bewildered expression.

Next to step up was another boy. He looked a bit on the older side and was well muscled. He shoved his hood back revealing brown eyes and black hair along with a strong, stern face. "Roz Shri." Was all he said before stepping back.

A huge boy stepped forward after Roz. He obviously had muscle. "My name is Sam Kea." His face was strong like Roz's, with brown hair and brown eyes. He had a very nondescript look to him, making your eyes slide right over him. **(Don't actually know what he looks like)**

The next person to step up was also a boy. _I guess Annabeth was right after all. _I thought back to the times we'd argue over which gender was smarter. _Girls are smarter than guys. _**(Meaning that Percy thought that whoever was on this team wasn't very wise for pinking to be on this side. It's sorta an insult in a Seaweed Brain way... sorry, that was hard to understand.) ** I focused back to the boy who had just taken his hood off. I was a little startled at this one. He looked about my age if not a little younger, but he had an eyepatch covering his left eye. His hair was black and his other eye was brown. "My name is Mak Haten."

There were only two left after him. The first to go was a slim boy with a bow slung over his back. **(Again, the books never revealed what he looks like) **He stepped up smoothly. "My name is Cert Ele." His hair was a golden blond and he was obviously tan. He had sky blue eyes and a smile that would've looked friendly if his eyes weren't glaring.

THe last one to step up was a huge burly guy. He probably had a million swords hidden in his cloak but I only saw the tip of one sword. A son of Ares through and through. **(He isn't mentioned very much in the books. I didn't know his last name so I took the first name of a different guy in the same cabin who was also mentioned a little) **He smirked at me. "Ramsn Kar, punk. Don't forget it."

Nat finally stepped back up. "Okay, now that we have that out of the way, let's get down to business." He smiled coldly in my direction.

I swallowed my fear. "And what exactly do you mean by that?" I asked, letting defiance color my voice.

His smile widened the slightest bit. "I thought you'd never ask." Instead of telling me, he merely nodded in the direction of Atlas's burden. I was shoved roughly towards the "sky" by Ramsn.

"That way, punk." Ramsn sneered. I rolled my eyes, _Definitely Ares._

Slowly I walked up the hill towards the sky. Once I got to the crest I saw that Atlas was no longer under the burden. Instead someone who I cared about immensely for was stuck struggling to hold up the sky. I started running before I even fully registered it. "MOM!"

**Sorry that it's sorta following the Titan's Curse plot. I didn't really think it through, but I'll try to make it a bit different than Rick Riordan's. I also apologize for the crappy prophecy, I have learned how hard those things are to make. One last apology, sorry about how many "new" characters I put in here. I'll try to describe and define them better in the next few chapters. Again, I'm really sorry about... everything! Review if you'd like, but I wouldn't really blame you if you didn't for this chapter. (It was pretty bad and I'm not even gonna try to pretend it wasn't) Okay, well hopefully the next chapter will be at least a little better than this one! Take it easy! U got 2 get down 2 get up**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello. So, I only got a few reviews on my last chapter so I'll make this short. First ChiVall, Dang, you are good! You should really look into being a detective when you get older or something. Yes, all the people you said were correct. Now you just need to figure out Cert. Nice Job, I commend you! 22guns, Haha, so sorry! I have to make drama in stories or else I wouldn't have a plot. Don't worry though, Sally Jackson will be fine, I like her. Drinkingthestarswithbob, I will! By the way, thanks for reviewing so much! Finally, Kate. Thanks a lot! I'm trying really hard not to make a copy of the Titan's Curse, but it's not easy when I have basically the same components. Thanks about the prophecy, it took a long time to make it up! :) Haha, sorry about the suspense, hopefully this chapter will help a little! Everyone who reviewed, thank you so much for the encouragement! It's really very appreciated!**

**Annabeth's POV**

I had replayed the prophecy in my head more than thousand times. Some of what the spirit of Delphi had told us was pretty obvious. For example, Thalia, the daughter of the sky, would lead one group of all girls to Mount Tam. Reyna, the daughter of Bellona or war, would lead another group who would stay back at Camp and learn about Nat Klue and his gang. I would be leading another group, but I wasn't sure what Delphi meant by "though her group won't have easy balance". _Does that mean that I will literally have bad balance? Or does she mean that my group will have a bad balance of power? What about a bad balance of personalities? _My mind raced with possibilities.

My group of friends sat under Thalia's tree, in complete silence. I knew we had to start, but we still didn't even make groups yet. Finally Thalia heaved herself off the ground and stood in front of us. "Okay, so at least we know the leaders. Annabeth, Reyna and I. I will have a group of all girls and I'll be heading out to Mount Tam."

I nodded. "Correct, and so will I and my own group. Reyna," I turned to look at her. "You stay back here at Camp to learn about Nat Klue."

She nodded dutifully. "Yes. We need to make groups first. Since we already have a pretty good sense of wear Percy is, I think that Grover should be in my group." We stared at her stunned. None of us would think that a strict, power-craving, leader would want the gentle satyr. She met our stares with a calculating look of her own. "Don't look so shocked, it makes sense. As much as I hate to admit it, I won't be doing a whole lot of fighting, not at the beginning at least. You need fighters, and no offense to you Grover, but you aren't much of a fighter. Besides, you know Camp pretty well, we'll need you."

"Okay, fine, you have one of the two other people you need." I replied, seeing her logic. "I think I should have the group of four." Seeing my friends curious gazes I continued. "Delphi said that my group what have bad balance. An even number of demigods might help me a little. It's worth a try at least." They nodded. I took a deep breath. "Okay, so Thalia. You should pick, you have a limited choice right now."

Thalia nodded. After some thought, she locked eyes with Hazel. "Hazel, will you come with me? You are a great warrior and have a connection to the Earth which could come in handy when dealing with a giant mountain." Hazel smiled warmly and nodded. Frank pulled her in for a quick kiss which she returned lovingly. Thalia cleared her throat. "Okay...-" She trailed off. "Piper, would you come with me? Your charm speak could even out our powers to make a good front."

Piper laughed slightly. "Of course. I don't have that much of a choice anyway." I smiled, it was true. Since Reyna and I were leaders of different groups, Hazel and Piper were the only other girls Thalia could pick.

Thalia turned to me. "You should pick a few now, you still don't have anyone."

I nodded. I surveyed the remaining demigods. Leo, Frank, Jason and Nico. My mind ran through possibilities. "Nico, will you come with me? You probably want to find Percy as much as Thalia does and I doubt you want to stay behind with Reyna and Grover." He nodded, relieved that he got a chance to move. Before I could say anything else, Reyna cut me off.

"Jason. Come with me, I need a powerful demigod with me since I don't have a very good fighter right now." Her voice was sharp and ice cold. Grover looked down in shame and Hazel laid a hand on his shoulder in comfort while Piper glared at Reyna. _Great, like we need more tension between those three._ I thought as I watched Reyna flutter her eyelashes at Jason while he looked at Piper, trying to reassure her probably. Piper simply shot one last glare at Reyna before arranging her face into an emotionless mask. That is, until Jason ran over to her and hugged her from behind. Then her mask melted into a combination of jealousy, love, and what looked like sadness. Jason whispered things into her ear while still hugging her while she nodded slightly and whispered back.

I cleared my throat uncomfortably. "Right, so I was going to ask for Leo and Frank anyways. Though now you two really don't have much of a choice..." I trailed off, smiling sheepishly at the two boys. They both looked slightly uncomfortable with the arrangement, but they both nodded as well. I let out a breath of relief. "Great, so we should leave as soon as possible. We obviously aren't supposed to travel with each other, so we'll have to find other means of transportation. If you don't mind Thals," I turned towards her. "Could my group go on a train? I have the biggest group and getting a car would slow us down the most while you only have two other people." I smiled apologetically at her.

She simply nodded her head. "Yeah, sure. I wasn't thinking of a train anyway. I was thinking of a really fast car. I think we should leave the plane transport open to Reyna." Thalia faced Reynan. "You have Jason in your group, and he's on better terms with dad, than I am. Plus, you guys would have to travel the fastest since you would have stayed back."

Reyna simply nodded in acknowledgement. She was busy watching Piper and Jason talk quietly a few yards off. Jason had his forehead resting on top of Piper's while his hands were intertwined with her own. As much as I didn't really like Jason, I had to admit they were a great couple together.

"Okay then." I said, clapping my hands for attention. "We should all pack and get ready, then we should all start on whatever we're doing depending on which group we are in."

Thalia nodded as she started walking towards the Zues cabin. "Let's go get my idiot cousin."

_Line Break~

**Percy's POV**

_"Mom!"_

My voice carried through the air. Mom's head snapped up and her soft blue eyes met mine. Her face was gaunt and scraped, but it was still the one I remembered. I couldn't believe it. They had somehow captured my mother. My dead mother who had died in a car crash years ago in Long Island. My mother, who had had severe depression but tried to cover it up. My mom.

I had reached where she was standing when she started to speak. "P-ercy. Percy, oh m-my baby boy." Her voice was strained and shaky, and I couldn't imagine how hard it must've been for her to speak while carrying the sky on her shoulders. "You have to get out of here." Her voice was urgent.

I shook my head fiercely. "No, mom, I'm not leaving you. I just found you." I took out Riptide and cut through the chains that bound her to the rock.

"Percy, n-no. You have to go! Get out of here! They want you t-to be trapped here, so they can use you w-when the time is right. Please, P-Percy!" Her eyes were pleading with me, but it wasn't working.

"I just found out you are alive after years of thinking you died. I'm not letting you go, I can't. Once I take the sky, you need to get away from here, okay mom?" I asked as I stepped up next to her. I reached up and touched the cool, swirling mass of air above me. I braced myself, then pressed my hands up higher till I was holding it alongside my mother.

"No! Percy, please! I-I can't explain how I was b-brought back, but I know I was u-used as bait to make you take the s-sky." Her voice was slightly less strained, giving me the courage to hold more and more. It was heavy. I'm not sure how to explain it, but it felt like I should've been crushed right then and there. I screamed in my head, not wanting my mom to know.

"Mom," My voice was weak and strained. "P-please... I wouldn't... forgive myself i-if... I left you h-here...-" I trailed off trying to catch my breath. I didn't know how mom had managed to speak so much before.

"Percy, my brave b-boy. Y-you have a life to l-live and a f-future to build. I h-have nothing to g-go back to. The only t-thing that kept me going w-was you." She sucked in a deep breath. "Y-you are my world P-percy."

I bit back a sob at that. "N-no mom." I sucked in as much air as I could. "Don't you d-dare say that. M-my life revolved around you... I-I couldn't live with m-myself... if I left y-you." I turned my head with enormous effort to look her in the eyes. My green eyes met her blue eyes. "Please... understand that I-I love you so much... it hurt everyday w-when you were... gone." Tears started sliding down mom's face. "Y-you deserved so much m-more than Po-Poseidon... who l-left you... us,..."

Mom sobbed. "I-I love you P-Percy. I l-love you so s-so much. Y-your the one who d-deserved a b-better life. I'm n-not leaving you." She looked at me as if she was seeing all the bad things that had happened to me over the years she was gone.

I grimaced in pain, from the sky and from my mother's pain. "I-I love you too, M-mom." I was already short of breath. "T-that's why-" A plan started forming in my head. It would be a short lived plan that only accomplished one thing, but it was the most important thing to me. "y-you have to understand-" I slid a large chunk of rock under my left foot and tensed to step up onto it. "why I d-did this." I finished, and as I did I stepped onto my make-shift stool, effectively bringing the sky out of mom's reach. It took a moment for the pain to register, but when it did, it felt like a thousand cement blocks were smashed on top of me. I groaned in pain but managed to keep my hold on the sky.

"Percy." My mother's shocked whisper brought me slightly out of the haze that the pain put me in. "No!" She tried to grab it, but she was still weak from holding the sky. She looked at me desperately. "Don't do this Percy!"

I groaned again, trying to find the strength to reply. "S-sorry m-mom. L-love you. N-now... Ge-get a-away from... h-here." She shook her head. I was about to speak again before a cool voice cut me off.

"Well, well, well. I thought you were a mommy's boy, Percy. Helped us quite a lot." I couldn't see anything but the space ahead of me since I didn't have enough energy to turn my head, but I could imagine Nat's face lit with a malicious smirk. I grimaced.

My mother was still standing there, torn on what to do. "M-mom..." I said quietly. Her eyes met mine and there must've been something in them that made her listen to me. "P-please... g-get away fr-from here."

Nat's voice was getting closer and closer. I could tell by the way he was speaking that he planned to use my mom in some other cruel way. She must've heard it too, because her eyes widened with fear. I felt a surge of anger ripple through me, what had these people done to my mother?

"P-Percy." Her voice was faint.

"Go mom. Now." My voice didn't waver like it had the other times. "I want you to live, mom. Please, for me. Just get away from here. Now!"

My mother looked at me with new found strength and determination. "I will come back for you, Percy. I will come back and bring you home. This isn't over, just hold on." She gave me a loving look then darted out of the clearing.

Ramsn and Sam start towards where she had disappeared, but Nat must've stopped them because I heard their heavy foot steps halting, then returning to their previous spots. Nat's voice was as cold as ice. "No, let the mortal go. Her plans didn't really matter all that much except to make Perseus's time here more... difficult." I could feel his presence right behind me, but I still didn't have the strength to turn. "However, that is not necessary right now. We want Perseus to last the next few days don't we?" I could picture the giant smirk on his face as he said this.

"Well, as much as I'd like to stick around and watch Perseus sweat under the sky, I need to catch up on some beauty sleep." Anna's voice rang out.

"Yeah." Aura's voiced. "We all need sleep and rest for tomorrow. And as attractive as you are, Perseus, I don't think I could stare at you until morning without falling asleep." I could hear to sets of foot steps heading back to where ever the slept.

"Aura and Anna are right, we should all turn in. Perseus isn't going anywhere any way." Nat said. And then they were gone.

As I stood there, being crushed by the sky, my thoughts wandered. First was my mom. Her hair, still brown with tiny streaks of grey. Her eyes, still a light blue. I prayed to the gods that she would find a way to get home to Montaulk. To be able to start that book she always wanted. Most of all, I wished that her soul wouldn't return to the Underworld, she deserved better. I didn't dare pray to Hades, because he might send her back because I notified him. Instead, I prayed to Hestia, Hera and Artemis. I knew they were unlikely people for a demigod to pray to, but Hestia was the goddess of the home and hearth. Surely she would see the warmth my mom radiated into any household. Hera was the goddess of family and marriage, she would see that mom was a part of a family. She would also see how bad mom's marriage went, but how well she kept it together still. Artemis was the goddess of the hunt. She symbolized strong females through out history. Surely she would realize that mom was the strongest of them all._  
_

Then my thoughts began to wander to my friends. Thalia, Nico, Grover, Hazel, Piper, Jason, Frank, Leo, Reyna. And most of all Annabeth. _Annabeth, Annabeth, Annabeth. _I chanted in my head, trying to find the strength to survive in her name. _Her golden blonde hair, her intelligent grey eyes, her healthy summer tan. _I sucked in a painful breath. _I can do this, I can do this, I can do this. I will do this, I will. I will do this for my mother, for my cousins, for my friends, for the human race. I will do this for Annabeth._

_Line Break~

**Annabeth's POV**

It was five in the morning when Thalia's team headed out. Hazel hugged Frank goodbye and kissed him sweetly on the lips. Frank held her as long as he could before letting her go. Piper also hugged Jason, but their kiss was a little more passionate. Jason whispered into Piper's ear and she smiled and kissed him again. I hugged all three of them, telling them to be safe and smart.

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Gee, we will be mom." But I knew she was just trying to lighten the mood. We waved at them as they headed down the hill and jumped in the van that Argus was transporting them to New York City.

_Line Break~

My group left an hour later. I said my goodbyes quickly, trying to get going as soon as possible. Soon enough Leo, Frank, Nico and I were all sitting in the van, waiting to arrive in NYC.

"So, you have a plan on which train we're taking?" Frank asked from the back. I turned from the passengers seat.

"Yeah, I do. We're jumping onto Acela Express. **(Yes there is an actual train) **That will bring us to Washington D.C. Then we're going on Sun West Line **(From the books. Yes it was in a different place, but please just play a long.)** That will be our ticket to California. We would arrive a few miles off of Marin Country, that's where Mount Tam is. We should be able to catch a taxi there, and if worst comes to worst, then we'll walk the rest of the way."

All the boys wore an identical expressions of awe. Leo snapped out of it first. "Wow, you certainly got this whole thing figured out." He flashed a smile.

I smirked. "Well I didn't think you guys would be planning anything, so I did." My smirk grew at their guilty expressions.

"Whatever, as long as we get to Percy." Nico replied. My smirk faded thinking about what Percy might be enduring at that very second.

_Line Break~

Our journey was pretty uneventful until we arrived at Washington D.C. We were waiting for our train to come when I spotted five monsters.

"Guys, we have some company." I whispered to them. We were all sitting on a bench in the busy train station. They looked at me curiously. I swallowed. " Five Empousai just crossed over to Platform 8." **(I know there is only one Lamia, but I wanted to use this monster, so please just play along... again. Okay, also, before this happens, no that I'm making up most of the Lamias' powers here... well all of them really.)**

"Empousai?" Leo asked, scanning the crowds.

"Yes, vampiric monsters. They target mostly men." I swallowed, _My whole team is male except for me. Great._ "They're fierce fighters. They usually use their claws, I think."

Frank seemed to figure it out to because he reached back and took out the bow. (We heavily 'Misted' our weapons) "Unless their spying for someone else." He finished grimly.

Nico's eyes narrowed. "If that's true than we should take them out. Cut off the stream of information."

I shook my head. "No, we can't attract attention to ourselves like that. We only take them out if they look like their giving information about us, because honestly, they don't look like they even know we're here."

Nico shrugged. So we waited.

_Line Break~

Fifteen minutes later, the five Empousai started heading in our direction. Their creepy pale faces were glued to the floor, not looking at anything or anyone. Then, suddenly, all five met our gazes. They started moving faster, practically sprinting towards us.

Nico looked over at me, his eyebrows raised. I nodded, it was time to take them out. We were at a disadvantage, though. We were surrounded by unsuspecting mortals who would probably see four teenagers beating innocent girls. I knew there was a risk, but we didn't really have a choice as they closed in.

The first Empousai swiped her hood off, revealing a beautiful face. She seemed to be African American with her chocolate skin, and pretty coffee brown eyes. The only thing that was off, was that she had a mad spark in her eyes, like she was waiting to attack. (Which I guess she was) Leo's fist wavered while Frank's bow dipped the slightest. _Come on, don't turn on me, now._

I breathed out, _I can do this. _I took out my dagger and held it in a ready position. All five had backed us up into a corner. Frank took put his bow away and took out a spear instead. Nico pulled out his Stygian Iron sword and looked ready to kill. Leo, a little less confident, pulled out what looked like breath mints from his magic tool belt. When I raised my eyebrow at it he blushed and brought out two hammers instead.

"Much better." I approved, then turned my attention to the empousai.

"Oh look, little demigods." The leader spoke up. Her voice was pretty and had a nice bell-tone, but I knew not to trust it. "What are you doing so far from your precious camp, hmm?"

I was about to retort, but Leo's dazed voice beat me to it. "We're... we're rescuing our friend. We're also free..."

I smacked him. _Of course, _I thought,_ All males are pretty much at risk here._ "We're only passing through. And it would be wonderful if I didn't have to ruin my new clothes with monster dust." I finished for Leo.

One of the empousai sneered at me. "Oh hon, maybe you could come through with that threat if you had your little team with you, but I think the boys would be more than willing to follow us, instead of you."

My eyes widened as I glanced around. Frank and Leo were both in a dazed stupor, but could undoubtedly snap out of it with the command of the Lamias. I thanked the gods when I saw Nico shaking the stupor off. As much as Frank and Leo wanted to find Percy, Nico had the most drive.

"Well," I turned back to the empousai, hoping that Nico would recover fast enough to help me. "I may not have my team, but I can still defeat you. You want to know why?" I stalled for as much time as I could.

One empousai snarled and was about to attack before the leader stopped her. "No, I want to hear what the little half-blood has to say." She turned to me, raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "And why could you defeat us without your team?"

"Because I'm a daughter of Athena," I took a deep breath, trying to contain my fatal flaw while still seeming arrogant. "I always win."

The leader smiled at me. "I'll make sure to remember that when I tear you to pieces, hon!" She lunged forward, followed by her four other followers.

I sidestepped around the lead, and plunged my dagger into the second. She screamed and turned to dust. I pivoted just in time to block a set of claws hurtling towards my face. I ducked under her claws before she could react and drove my knife into her chest. She, as well, turned to dust. I turned back to the remaining three. They backed up warily, analyzing my fighting style.

The empousai on the far left swiped at me first, her claws missing me by an inch. Before she could recover from her miss, I stabbed downwards and turned her to dust. The other two empousai, the leader and a follower, tried attacking together. But before they could even come close to me, a Stygian Iron sword was thrust through the follower. Her scream was pierce as her essence returned to Tarturus.

"Nico!" I exclaimed.

He looked up at me from where he had been standing behind the empousai before he stabbed her. "Sorry it took me so long to get out of that stupor."

I grinned, "Well I didn't really need too much help anyway." He nodded, then we both turned our attention to the leader.

Her claws were out, and there was fire in her eyes. "Well done, daughter of Athena. You bested my followers." I expected her to attack me, but instead she took out a little ball. **(Not actually in the books, but I need it to be. Sorry) **She smiled. "I can now tell master how well you fight." She then tossed the ball in the air and disappeared in a flash of light.

I breathed out. "Great, we got another problem." I said. _Who the Hades is her "master"? _I glanced towards my team. Leo and Frank seemed to have come out of the stupor.

"Yeah, who was her "master"?" Nico asked. He was pacing in a circle.

A groan interrupted my thoughts. "Whoa... uh, what happened?" Leo asked, his head swiveling from side to side. Frank looked confused as well.

Nico and I exchanged a glance. I was about to explain the situation, but I heard a piercing whistle. My head jerked up, catching sight of the police officer who was running towards us at full speed. _Great, these mortals saw._ I thought. "Look, I'll explain on the train, but we need to get out of here now. I'm sure that cop already called for back up. Let's get on the train, then I'll explain.

_Line Break~

I sat in front of Frank and Leo as they thought things through. After the initial embarrassment of being stuck in a stupor for the whole fight, Leo and Frank started thinking of possibilities of who the empousai's master could've been.

"Nat Klue is definitely a suspect, but I don't see how he could make an Empousai bow down to him without killing it." Nico finally stated after fifteen minutes of silence.

I nodded. "Yes, he is a suspect. But other people could be, too. Empousai are the creatures of Hecate. They could've been referring to her. Though I don't know what her motives for finding out how well we fight would be."

We lapsed into silence again. Finally Leo's ADHD must've taken over. "Okay, well, we aren't going to be finding out anything tonight. We're all tired and our brains are fogging right now. Not to mention that we need as much sleep as we can get, because tomorrow," He flashed a grin. "We arrive in California." He then promptly fell asleep in his seat.

Nico, who was sitting beside him, leaned on the window. "Leo, for once, is right. We need sleep." He then, too, went out like a light. _Wow, I guess that stupor really sapped them. _I thought as I observed how Frank had already passed out.

After another five minutes of brain storming, I leaned against the window. _Time for sleep..._ I thought as I drifter off. Unfortunately I drifted right into a dream.

**Sorry that this chapter, also, is a little lame. I wrote most of this in the middle of the night, trying to finish it, so the plot sorta went weird. Anyway... okay, so I don't normally ask you guys to do things. But, I just found out that my grandfather has Stage 1 cancer, meaning it's very aggressive. I... had a really hard time writing this part (Seriously, I've been re-writing it for the past 15 minutes.) But, please. I know a lot of people take a lot of things for granted. I took the fact that I had loving grandparents for granted, and now I just realize that I could lose one. I don't know exactly how to word this, but I'm gonna try. I don't know what you believe in... and I don't judge either way. (If I did judge people from their race, religion, sexuality or gender, then my judgement isn't worth a whole lot) But, please, asked whoever you believe in to at least make his going peaceful, if he has to leave. The world needs balance, I know, and that's why I will accept the facts. Be grateful to whoever is in your life. Hey, why don't you go give them a hug when you see them next? I know I'm going to. Take it easy, U got 2 get down 2 get up**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello. To start off, Azuphere, Thank you very much. I really appreciate your support. KaselyLyndal, I'm glad you thought the chapter was good. And thank you for the advice, I will try my best. :) Wild-writer-32, Thank you! I hope so as well. Kate, Haha, I'll try, but I do need to fill out the prophecy. I guess Percy's fatal flaw makes him so noble... not really sure. Tom Marvolo Riddle 2, Haha, I just want to make sure that no one takes offense. Though I love your reasoning. Thank you!**

**Annabeth's POV  
**

My dream started as a regular mortal dream. I was designing a building for New York City, documents and blue-prints in my hands. I sat on a bench in Central Park. Everything was peaceful, soft and gentle._  
_

"Hey, Wise Girl." I jumped slightly then looked up. I was met by the sight of Percy. He was wearing a dark green T-Shirt with faded blue jeans. "Did I scare you?" He asked, his gentle voice full of amusement.

I shook my head, trying to cover up my jump. "No, you didn't."

"Really?" He shook his head, his eyes a bright green. "Judging by the way you jumped, I would've guessed I at least startled you."

I mock glared at him. "What do you want, Seaweed Brain? Or did you come over here just to annoy me?" I looked back down at my blue-prints.

When he didn't reply I glanced back up. I gasped. Percy was no longer standing in front of me. Instead I stood at the top of a mountain, looking down a jagged cliff. I spun around, trying to get my bearings, that's when my eyes landed on the 'object' behind me. The sky. My eyes widened, I had learned enough legends about this place to know that I was on Mt. Orthys. I knew that Atlas was supposed to be holding it, but I couldn't find him anywhere. I crept along the outskirts of the clearing, trying to stay out of sight in case someone was around._  
_

I stopped dead in my tracks. Someone was holding the sky. Not a Titan, but a human. I couldn't get a good look at the person's face since they were turned away from me, but I suspected it was a boy from his body structure. I was about to run up to him, but then the ground started shaking. I scrambled to find my balance, but I was caught of guard. Somehow the boy kept his grip on the sky, and kept his balance. I tried to get up again, but then a voice laughed in my mind. It was cold, hard and full of malice. Before it could say anything, I woke.

My eyes snapped open, and I jumped up. The shaking didn't stop and I fell back onto my seat. I looked around wildly. The other passengers were screaming and falling over. My mind put the pieces together, earthquake.

"Guys!" I shouted, waking my friends who were still sound asleep.

Nico snapped awake and grabbed his sword. I shook my head, gaining his attention. "No, we're in the middle of an earthquake. Get your stuff!" He nodded and followed my orders, waking Leo up before.

I turned to Frank who had just registered our situation. "We need to get off this train! I have a feeling this isn't a normal earthquake. A Titan is probably trying to slow us down!"

Frank nodded. "What about the mortals? Will they get hurt?" He asked as he grabbed his stuff.

I slung my backpack over my shoulders, "If I'm right about the source of the quake, then it will probably leave the train alone once we get away from here." I look across to Leo and Nico. Both had their backpacks on their shoulders, waiting to go. I nodded at them. As if some unspoken plan had been whispered in our ears we all jumped up and ran for the train doors in unison. I got there first and threw open the doors, ushering the others out. Frank jumped first, landing on his feet then rolling to get rid of some momentum. Then Leo, then Nico. I glanced around wondering if anyone saw us. No one did, they were to busy screaming and trying to keep their balance, a few smarter ones standing crouching down low and covering their heads. I whipped around again and jumped off, not wanting to waste any more time.

_Line Break~

We had regrouped and figured out that we were probably only a few miles off of our destination. (Mount Tam)

"So now what?" Leo asked, adjusting his backpack.

I glanced around our group. They seemed even more determined now. I take a deep breath. "Now we walk."

_Line Break~

**Jason's POV**

I was worried sick. _What if Piper gets hurt? What if she gets captured? What if she's calling for help this very second? What if I'll never see her again? _I took in a deep breath. _Okay Jason, get a hold of yourself. Piper is strong, she's been trained. She can fend for herself. _I sighed. _But what if she does get hurt? What if I never see her again? Never see her chocolate brown hair, and tan Cherokee skin. What if I never hear her laugh, or see her smile that brilliant smile? _I was a nervous wreck once again.

"Jason!" Reyna's sharp voice yanked me out of my trance. I looked up, finding her face full of annoyance.

"Yes?" I asked, trying to figure out why I had ever thought Reyna was even close to competing with Piper. Sure she was pretty, but she had no personality. She was the cold leader, the emotionless stone. Compared to Piper's love and happy aura, Reyna didn't stand a chance.

"We need to complete our part of the mission, remember?" Her eyes were narrow, as she gestured towards the cabin area.

"Of course I remember." I walked up to her. "I suppose we should get started. Where's Grover?"

She spared a glance at the dining pavilion. "I would guess the satyr is enjoying his lunch."

I frowned at the disdain in her voice. "He has a name, you know."

She turned on me. "Yes, any creature has one. But he is not worthy of-"

I cut her off. "What do you mean he 'is not worthy of'?"

Her cold, brown eyes stared at me. "I mean exactly what I said. He is not worthy of a name, so I will not call him one." Her eyes glowed with a challenge.

My hands were quivering at that point. I hadn't known Grover for long, but I knew he was brave and loyal. "_Grover_ is quite worthy of a name, I believe. He is brave and loyal, isn't that enough to be worth a name?"

"The satyr is nothing but a quivering wreck that will get in the way. Why do you think I chose him?"

"So he could help us collect information!" I heard my voice raise slightly as I gazed defiantly back at Reyna.

She shook her head, her brown braid flying about. "So he wouldn't slow the others down! So he wouldn't get in the way! I did the whole group a favor be dragging the _goat_ with us!" **(Sorry Reyna seems so out of character, but I needed some tension in this group)**

My eyes widened in shock at her words. I didn't know what to say. _How can she be so cruel and judgmental? _I thought, staring at her. I opened my mouth to say something when I caught sight of Grover. My words got stuck in my throat because he had been standing off to the side, out of my line of vision, listening to everything we had said. Reyna also spotted Grover and she gasped.

Grover's hazel-nut eyes were brimming with unshed tears. His lower lip was trembling and his chest was heaving in uneven breaths. I slowly approached him. "Grover, man... She didn't mean i-it." I stuttered, raising my hands in a calming gesture.

"Re-really?" Grover asked, hurt coloring his tone. "It so-sounded like she d-did to me." He crossed his arms over his chest in a protective fashion.

I threw a sharp glare over my shoulder at Reyna. "She didn't, she was just trying to feel more powerful. That's how it works for her." I said, ignoring the protest from Reyna.

Grover stared at me with unbelieving eyes. After a minute or two, he shook his head. He had calmed considerably. "Whatever, man. Look, I'll go cover the Hermes, Demeter, and Apollo cabin." He walked away.

I turned on Reyna. "What is your problem? How can you be so cold?" Before she could respond, I waved my hand in the air. "Never mind, your words don't hold weight to me anymore." I turned towards the cabins again. "I'll take the Ares, Hephaestus, and Athena cabin. Get the rest, will you?" My voice still held a cold edge to it.

Before she could reply, I walked towards the Ares cabin.

_Line Break~

**Thalia's POV**

We had made good time. At the beginning of the day we rented a car. It was fast and we traveled swiftly across the country. By noon we had stopped for a quick lunch where we had run into some trouble with a few weaker monsters. It wasn't much problem when Hazel buried one, Piper stabbed another and I electrocuted the remaining. We didn't even break a sweat. Our trip was uneventful and swift, giving us the responsibility of getting to Percy first. We needed a plan.

"What do you guys think?" Piper asked. We had made it to the Marin County and had stayed there over night. It must've been around nine in the morning. Piper was lying on top of one of the beds, anxiously sharpening her blade.

Hazel sighed from where she was sitting in a swivel chair. "We don't know much about what is up there on Mount Tam. We know the sky is there, but no mortal has ever been able to hold it besides Hercules. So that's not an option."**  
**

I shuddered at the thought of my cousin holding the burden of Atlas. "We don't know that for sure, though. Percy is stronger than I ever gave him credit."

Piper and Hazel nodded in understanding.

"Okay," Piper started. "so we have the option of Percy holding the sky. We also don't know much about who is up there. We could be facing Atlas, or another Titan."

We all fell silent, lost in thought. "So if we find Percy holding the sky, then what should we do?" Hazel asked.

I bit my lip, _I wish Annabeth was here. She would think up some strategy. _"Try to trick one of the bad guys into taking the sky?" I suggested.

"But how?" Piper's voice was uncertain.

"I'm not sure..." I admitted.

We lapsed into silence once again. "We also shouldn't forget about the prophecy, guys." Piper and I turned to Hazel, waiting for her to continue. "Remember the last two lines? 'Out of the friends there will be only one, who has a chance at saving Poseidon's son.' We don't know who they are. If we go blindly charging up Mount Tam, and none of us is the person in the prophecy, then it would be a waste."

"Yes, but if one of us _is_ the person in the prophecy, then we're wasting time if we don't attack now." Piper replied._  
_

I sighed in frustration. "How is it even possible that only one person can save Percy? We're heading up a mountain, not flying or swimming. We're not even heading into a tunnel. Nothing that a normal demigod couldn't overcome."

Piper looked thoughtful. "Maybe he'd reject help from everyone but one."

I snorted. "Please, he'd reject help from anyone. There isn't a person who he would fully rely on." _Not even Nico and I. Not even his mom. _"He was forced to be strong when he was a kid, and he always will be now."

Hazel let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't know what to do. Everything we come up with ends up being a dead end."

"We could wait for the others to get here. Annabeth shouldn't be too far behind us." Piper stated.

I looked at her strangely. "How do you know that?"

She looked embarrassed as she twisted her dark braid. "Well it was just an idea. But I was thinking of the prophecy, how it named the groups in a certain order. First us, then Annabeth, then Reyna." Her voice grew slightly cold at the name 'Reyna'. "I was wondering if maybe it named us in the order we would arrive."

Hazel nodded at her logic. "It's not for certain, but it is a very good guess." Hazel turned to me. "And if we do wait, we would have more people to charge into battle with. And we would have a better chance of getting the person in the prophecy."

I was slightly stunned by how well Piper and Hazel worked together, but I shook it off quickly. "I suppose that's the best plan we got." Even though I wanted to find Percy, Hazel and Piper's logic was working. "I'll send Annabeth an Iris message and ask her to meet us here."

_Line Break~

**Annabeth's POV**

It was a beautiful day. Unfortunately I wasn't able to take in the beauty of California when I was walking along dusty railroad track. **(I'm not sure what the Marin County actually is like, I've never been there. Sorry if I get the description wrong.) **We had been walking for two hours, and seeing that it was seven when we jumped out of the train I was guessing it was about nine.

We has stopped for a water break when a rainbow started to shimmer next to me. I turned towards it, ready to take on whoever was on the other side. I was relieved to find that it wasn't an enemy contacting us, but Thalia.

"Thalia!" I grinned at her. "How are you doing?"

"Good, so far. You?"

I shrugged in response. "So-so. Why'd you Iris Message?"

"Piper, Hazel and I made it to the Marin County. We're staying at a hotel there, we were wondering if we could meet up."

"I think we can do that. Where are you? We ran into some trouble on the train and we're walking now." I gestured to the scene around me. "If you tell us which hotel, I'm sure we can get there some how."

Thalia looked a little worried, but she knew I would think of a way to get there. "We're staying in Mill Valley Inn near Mt. Tam."

I nodded and looked over towards Nico. "You think you can get us there?"

He looked slightly uncertain. "I don't have a lot of shadows at my disposal right now. I could bring two people there, but then one would have to stay behind so I could run into their shadow."

My heart sank. Who would stay behind? "I will." I turned towards Frank.

"What?" I asked.

"I'll stay. I have the biggest shadow and I can turn into a bird or something and fly the rest of the way."

I didn't like leaving him behind, but his logic made sense. I nodded. "Okay, Frank. If you're sure." He nodded. I turned towards Thalia, noticing that Hazel had joined her. They had watched the exchange, and Hazel waved to Frank. "We'll see you in a bit." She nodded then I swiped my hand through the mist.

Three minutes later we were all set and ready to go. Nico took hold of Leo and my hand and pulled us through Frank's shadow. Let me tell you right now, shadow traveling is not fun. It felt like we were going a million miles and hour and my face was about to peal off. Not fun, but still effective and fast. Seconds later we were tumbling out of a shadow next to the door of a hotel room.

We laid in a dazed heap on the floor for about two minutes before I finally shook of the dizzy sensation and stood up. I surveyed the room. Their were two twin beds, a desk, a bathroom and a closet. Normal hotel room. Sitting on one of the beds, Thalia smirked at me. Hazel, who was sitting in the desk chair gave me a small smile before looking back out the window. It occurred to me that she must've been watching out for Frank in bird form. Piper was sitting cross-legged on the other bed.

"Well it's about time." Thalia said, not completely hiding the anxiousness in her electric blue eyes. "I thought that we would have to storm Mt. Tam on our own."

I matched her smirk with a fake one of my own. "Well now you don't have to." My smirk melted, it was time to get serious. "So what are the possibilities you guys have thought of?"

The entire atmosphere changed, turning serious. "Well," Thalia looked around the room. "Percy could be being held in a base near the mountain. Piper saw it from her dagger, but we don't suspect he's there. Hazel said that there were no tunnels inside the mountain, so he can't be there. He might've been transported to another place or," Her voice turned weak. "he could be holding the sky."

I sucked in a breath. _Percy holding the sky... the boy in my dream! Why didn't I make the connection before? Percy's holding the sky!_ My heart rate picked up.

"Has anyone been getting any strange dreams since we started the quest?" I asked. The others looked at me strangely, trying to figure out where my random question had come from. After a minute I received the collective 'no'. I was about to explain when Frank tumbled in through the window in crow form.

My eyes widened at the state he was in. His black wings were smeared in blood and his left leg was bent at an unnatural angle. Hazel gasped and darted to his side. We stood in stunned silence as he changed back into human form. When I could see him better, I realized that he had many cuts and bruises as well. We stood there for a second before my instincts kicked in.

"Leo get water from the sink!" I yelled as a kneeled down next to Frank on the floor. "Piper, get ambrosia and nectar from my backpack." They both scrambled to follow my orders. "Nico, get bandages from the closet, I'm sure they have some in the first aid kit! Thalia, I want you down here just in case." Thalia knelt beside me, prepared to send charges of electricity through Frank if his heart stopped. Hazel was silent, clutching onto Frank's slack hand.

Leo ran back with a bowl of water. "Here!" He thrust it to me. I took it and started cleaning of the worse cuts.

Piper came sprinting towards us after rummaging in my backpack, ambrosia squares and a bottle of nectar in hand. "I got it!" She gave them to me.

I handed the ambrosia to Hazel and instructed her to feed Frank three squares. She nodded and set to work, murmuring encouragement under her breath. I held my breath as I poured nectar over Frank's wounds. I breathed a sigh of relief as they started healing. Nico came running back in, bandages in hand.

"Good. The nectar should be healing him now. Wrap up the major cuts while I take a look at his leg." I ordered, as Hazel rolled up Frank's pant leg. Hazel winced when she saw how bent it was.

"Can you set it?" She asked in a small voice.

I nodded grimly. "Yes I can, but it won't be pretty." Hazel took a deep breath then went back to whispering to Frank. I counted down in my head, _Five, four three, two, One!__  
_

Frank groaned in pain and flinched, his whole body convulsing for a second. Then he relaxed and went back to his semi-aware state. I sat back on my heals and breathed out. It was set.

Everyone in the room slumped in relief. Frank focused on Hazel. "They came right after the others left." His voice was scratchy and soft. "Said they didn't want us interfering with their plan. I tried to fly away, but they sent these freaky steel pigeons after me." _The Stymphalian Pigeons. _I thought, slightly awed that Frank survived. "It took a while, but they finally flew away when I started screeching in a weird way. They didn't like the sound. I barely got back here." He finished his tale with an exhausted sigh and promptly fell asleep, still clutching Hazel's hand.

_He won't be able to fight with us. _I thought.

_Line Break~

**Grover's POV (Hey, let's just say that a day passed before this part. I need to make it line up to the rest of the story. So sorry for my not-very-well thought out plot. I'm playing this by year)**

I trudged to the Hermes cabin. I knew I shouldn't have been so hurt by Reyna's words, they were true after all, but they burned in my mind. _So he wouldn't slow the others down! So he wouldn't get in the way! I did the whole group a favor by dragging the _goat_ with us!_ My mind kept repeating this over and over again. _Do I always get in the way? Do I always slow everyone down? _I mentally slapped myself. _Of course I do, idiot! I'm a satyr who can barely play his Pan Pipes! I'm useless! _I thought angrily as I walked.

"Yo Grover, why so glum lookin'?" My eyes met the ones of Connor Stoll. He was grinning at me from the cabin's porch steps.

"Nothing, Conner. Just thinking."

"That's never a good thing to do. It keeps people from playing pranks." He walked halfway to me. "So what brings you here? Would you like to buy some slightly used winged shoes? Or how 'bout a good ol' pack of Coke?"

I held up my hand to stop him. "I'm not here to buy anything."

Connor raised his eyebrow quizzically. "Really?"

"Truly." I answered. "I'm here to learn about someone."

Connor's face grew even more confused. "Who would you want to know about from the Hermes cabin?" As well as he masked his emotions, I was a satyr. Therefore I could sense the anxiousness and nervousness rolling off him.

"Quit the act, Connor." I snapped, still in a bad mood. "I know that there were a few kids here who joined Nat Klue." I glared at him, daring him to deny it.

For once in his life, the mischief and fun went out of Connor. His shoulders slumped and he sighed. "Yeah I know some stuff, Grover. Cool your jets." He turned towards Thalia's Tree. "Come with me, I don't want to talk about it in the open."

_Line Break~

"Okay." He started, as we sat down. He took a deep breath then let it out in a big whoosh. "Most of the recruits that Nat Klue got in his little band of rebels is from the Hermes Cabin. Before you start, they had a reason. Hermes has been the least of the 12 Olympians, no one warships him. And we also get stuck with all the new kids, so it is reasonable that many of the demigods would have a little grudge in that cabin. For example, my brother."

I looked at him shocked. "I didn't know...-"

"That what?" Connor interrupted angrily. "That I had a twin brother? That he joined Nat Klue? Well the whole camp knew, they just didn't give a crap." He let out an angry sigh. "See, that's what happens to the Hermes kids. They're forgotten. They're pushed aside to make room for other demigods who have more important parents."

"I'm sorry." I said weakly. "I didn't know you guys felt that way."

He looked up at me, his blue eyes swirling with so much emotion. "Well we do, just some more than others. Anyway, so yeah, a lot of kids from the Hermes cabin joined Nat."

I noticed the way Connor said 'Nat' weirdly. "Why do you keep on saying the name, Nat, like it's so weird. Nat is probably just short for Nathaniel or something."

Connor's eyes darkened. "Nat isn't short for anything. Ya see, I was offered a place in their gang too. Sworn to keep quiet by the Styx." He rolled his eyes. "Good thing for you that I was smart and said 'sticks' instead of 'Styx'. Gods, for people who pride themselves on being smart, they're pretty dumb."

"And?" I asked, trying to get to the point.

Connor sighed. "Okay, "Nat" is a cover name. As in, not his true name. None of his little gang go by their real names."

"Why?" I blurted out.

"Because," Connor explained. "names have power." Before I could say anything, he moved on. "And 'Nat' doesn't want anyone having any kind of power over them."

"W-What are their r-real names?" I stuttered, trying to process the information.

Connor looked at me, and for a second I thought he'd refuse to tell me. Then he groaned. "It's a good thing I have a sense of good and bad or I probably wouldn't tell you." He looked me dead in the eyes. "Nat's real name is Luke Castellan. He and all the rest switched up the letter, making a new name for themselves. I know just about every single one of them."

I kept quiet until then. "Do you mind telling me who they are?" I asked.

Connor sighed. "Nat Klue is Luke Castellan, like I said before. He's a master swordsman and is sly as a fox, don't underestimate him. Aura Nelia is Silena Beauregard. She's a good spy, can blend in pretty much anywhere, ya see, she's a daughter of Aphrodite. Her half sister, Drew Tanaka, is also with Luke. She goes by the name Anna Red."

I still had trouble thinking of Nat as a Luke, but I could keep up pretty well.

"I gotta warn ya not to underestimate Drew. She's not to good at hand-to-hand combat, but she'll have you under her charm-speak spell in seconds. Next is the Apollo cabin. One kid is from there. Lee Fletcher, who goes by the name Cert Ele. He's got a killer shot. Literally. The Hepheustus cabin also has one person with Luke. The kid who goes by Sam Kea, yeah his real name is Jake Mason. He's got skill with a machine like you can't believe."

I nodded my head in understanding, trying to remember who was who.

"Then there's Ares. I would've expected more in Luke's inner circle, but only one came. Ramsn Kar, or Mark Sherman which is his real name. He's strong and fast, but has no brain cells at all. Last cabin who helped Luke is Hermes, where Luke originally came from. There's three people from my cabin, including my twin." His eyes clouded over for a second, before they focused back on the ground where he had been staring during the entire conversation. "First up is Chris Rodriguez. You know him by the name of Roz Shri. He's good at combat, but his mental state can get a little unstable sometimes. Next is who you know as Mak Haten. His real name is Ethan Nakamura. I seriously doubt that he is actually Hermes' son judging by how little mischief he has in him, but I'm not saying anything for certain. He's good with a sword, but sorta weak compared to Luke."

I had picked up a pen and paper long ago. _Okay, _I went over my list:

_Nat Klue=Luke Castellan. Good swordsman, leader, Hermes_

_Aura Nelia=Silena Beauregard. Spy, Aphrodite_

_Anna Red=Drew Tanaka. Charm-Speaker, Aphrodite_

_ Cert Ele=Lee Fletcher. Archer, Apollo_

_Sam Kea=Jake Mason. Mechanic, Hepheustus_

_Ramsn Kar=Mark Sherman. Warrior, dumb, Ares_

_ Roz Shri=Chris Rodriguez. Mentally unstable, good fighter, Hermes_

_Mak Haten= Ethan Nakamura. Good sword, weak-ish, unknown parent._

I looked back up, waiting for Connor to continue.

He had a faraway look in his eyes. "Last one is my brother, Travis Stoll. He goes by the name Los Ira, now, though. He's a good fighter with just about anything he gets his hands on. He's smart, but obviously has bad morals and holds grudges." I didn't have to be a satyr to know that Connor missed his brother dearly. Obviously they were close and Travis leaving him -betraying him even- tugged at his heart.

"Thank you, Connor. You really helped us out." I told him sincerely.

He made a face. "Well I hope you guys put it to good use, it'd really suck if I spent so long being serious for nothin'." It was obvious Connor was trying to cover his real emotions.

"We will, I promise. You did the right thing by not joining them, you know." I stated firmly as I stood up, offering Connor my hand.

He took it and hauled himself up. "I still have doubts about my decision, but somewhere in me, I know I did the right thing."

I nodded and started heading back down the hill to find the others when Connor stopped me.

"Oh, Grover?"

I turned towards Connor. His face was uncertain and a little embarrassed. "Yeah?"

"I-If you see Travis. Tell him," Connor sucked in a breath. "Tell him his brother misses him."

I felt sadness and pity wash over me. "I will, Connor, I swear."

He nodded, then turned his back, probably to keep his emotions in check.

I shook my head sadly, life just wasn't fair.

_Line Break~

I had finished dumping my over-load of information onto Reyna and Jason after 20 minutes of explaining and re-explaining. I still wouldn't look directly at Reyna, her words still leaving a sting, but I knew we had to work together to save Percy.

"So... I suppose we should let the others know, huh?" Jason said, breaking the silence.

I nodded. "The sooner they know the better. I'm not sure about this whole 'names have power' thing, but we could use it to our advantage." I fished a drachma out of my pocket and walked over to a fountain **(I needed a way to create mist) **on the other side of the dining pavilion where we had been sitting. "O Iris, goddess of the rainbow, except my offering." The rainbow shimmered. "Show me Annabeth Chase." It was around ten in the morning, so I hoped that no one had attacked Mt. Tam yet.

Thankfully when we were connected, I saw the inside of a hotel instead of a battle field.

"Grover?" Annabeth appeared on screen, looking exhausted.

"Hey, Annabeth. Look, I got information for you. A lot."

She perked up a little, "Good, we've been debating on what we should do for the past thirty minutes. I have a few things to tell you myself." Her tone made me slightly nervous, had something gone wrong?

"Okay, you wanna go first?" I asked.

She shrugged and started.

_Line Break~

After five minutes of explaining, we got the gist of what had happened over the last two days.

"Is Frank okay?" I asked worried.

Annabeth sighed. "He should be fine, but I'm afraid he won't be able to fight for at least a week. And we can't leave Percy holding the sky for that long."

I winced at the still-new piece of information.

"Okay." Annabeth blew a strand of blond hair out of her face. "You know what happened to us, it's your turn now."

I took a deep breath. "Yeah. Okay, so this is gonna be long..."

_Line Break~

Twenty minutes later I had explained the whole thing to Annabeth. She looked grim, but also slightly hopeful.

"Okay, so at least we know their real names now." She stated, looking down at the sheet of paper she had written her notes on.

"Yes, that's an advantage." I supplied.

"I've been thinking of a plan while you were talking." She said. I rolled my eyes, of course she was.

"And?"

"And I was thinking of getting up Mt. Tam. Don't forget that this is also Mt. Orthys we're trying to climb, and what protects it?"

My eyes widened. "The Hesperides."

She nodded grimly. "Yes, and one can only enter the mountain at twilight."

"So I guess we better get our butts on a plane fast." I suggested.

"That would be good, we need all the help we can get. We will be waiting near the Hesperides Garden. Come as fast as you can, it should be around twilight when you get there. Then we can enter together."

I nodded. "We'll be there."

Annabeth smiled for the first time during the entire conversation. "You better be. If you don't make it, then we have to go in anyways." She raised her hand to wave through the mist right after Piper and Jason said goodbye to each other. "Good luck, guys!" Then it was gone.

I turned to Reyna and Jason. "It's about ten thirty now, let's buy some tickets and get on a plane."

_Line Break~

We boarded the plane without any issues. As we settled in to wait I sent a silent prayer to the gods.

_Please let us get there in time. I don't know if they can make it on their own. Just please. _Then I promptly fell asleep with images of the battle soon to come raging inside my head.

**Hey, so sorry that it took me so long to update! Crazy week! Okay, that's all. Take it easy, U got 2 get down 2 get up**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello. I'm really sorry about not updating regularly, like I usually would like to. I'm sorry that these updates are so irregular, but I _will_ finish this story. Kate, I hope the final battle lives up to your expectations! I like Grover too, so I'm trying not to cause him _too_ much pain. :) By the way, thank you for reviewing practically every chapter! You get me trying to write better chapters every time I read your reviews! Thanks! Drinkingthestarswithbob, Haha, thank you so much! I'm glad you like the last chapter! I suppose I do have a lot of ideas, the problem is trying to make sense of them. :) You are also another reviewer that I look forward to reading from a lot. 22guns, Thanks! Percy is a pretty hard guy to _not_ fall for. Thanks a lot, you really made me feel special with this review! Thank you so much for the encouragement, sometimes I really need the extra push. Thank you to all readers, reviewers and anyone who likes it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson series. All rights belong to Rick Riordan.  
**

**Annabeth's POV  
**

The rest of the day was spent nervously sharpening weapons and practicing any rusty battle moves. I practiced different moves and strategies with my dagger. We had found a meadow a few miles off of the hotel, where we practiced. The only ones missing were Hazel and Frank. Frank was in no condition to even jog for a minute, never mind fighting a battle. Hazel stayed behind, tending his wounds even though Frank had protested he was fine. Even though it meant losing another fighter, I was relieved that Hazel would be staying behind with him. We had learned early that the people who attacked Frank were some of Nat Klue's followers. and who knew if they decided to attack again. If they did, they would "face the wrath of the Underworld" as Hazel called it. Nico had smirked proudly at his little sister at that.

"Annabeth, you seem distracted. Thinking of battle strategies that will leave us in one piece, I hope." Leo called from across the meadow. Everyone turned to look at me, momentarily forgetting their training.

I shrugged, "I'm trying." I replied simply. They all took the response and went back to whatever they were practicing before.

In truth, I had no idea how we were going to win this fight. It was sad, but if Percy was holding the sky, then we would need a replacement for him once we saved him. I shut my eyes tight, _No Annabeth don't think like that. We know their real names, we have an advantage. We can sneak in undetected, rescue Percy and shove an unsuspecting enemy demigod under there._

I threw my dagger at a tree 40 feet away. It buried itself deeply in the bark. _We can do this. _I thought as I jogged over to retrieve it. _If there is a fight waiting for us... then we'll fight. We'll have two teams like when we played Capture the Flag in gym... _My brain went into overload, thinking of different scenarios and strategies.

A few hours later I checked my digital watch. _6:40 pm. The sun sets at 8:00pm, so we should have enough time to get there a few minutes before twilight._

"Guys!" My voice rang over the meadow. My friends turned to look at me. "It's 6:40 now. The sun sets at 8:00, so how about we go to the hotel, clean up and replenish ourselves. Then we'll catch a cab to Mount Tam and wait for Grover. While we're there, we have to think of ways of getting past the Hesperides." I was a little nervous about them. They had legends written about them, of course, but they varied so much. Sometimes there were only three, then there were 12. I couldn't pin point an absolute fact about them except for the fact that they guarded their garden with Ladon. I shuddered at the thought of the dragon, hopefully we wouldn't have too much trouble with him.

"Right." Piper said, snapping me out of my reverie.

_Line Break~

"We ready?" My question rolled through the room. The four other demigods who were coming nodded.

"As ready as we'll ever be." Piper muttered.

Hazel had guilt in her eyes. "I'm so sorry guys. I don't mean to limit your chances. It's just... I-I need to protect Frank right now."

Nico walked over to his sister. "It's okay, sis. We understand. We'll be fine and Percy will be right back with us before you know it." He pulled Hazel into a hug.

I smiled softly at the show of brotherly affection I rarely saw from Nico. It was good to see now and again.

"Of course we understand, Hazel. Frank needs you right now." Piper's words calmed Hazel down, and she smiled gratefully at her.

I stepped forward. "Hazel, it's fine. But, please," I glanced down, trying to make my request polite. "I-if, I don't know, if one of us contacts you. And it's really serious... I-"

Hazel laughed and hugged me. "I'll come. Don't worry, if you contact me, I'll come."

I sighed in relief. "Thank you, Hazel."

She smiled sweetly. "I should be thanking you. But we'll save it for later, right now you guys need to get going."

I walked towards the others waiting by the door.

"Yeah, baby, let's kick some butt!" Leo yelled, lifting everyone's spirit.

_Line Break~

It was 7:30 and we still didn't have a good plan to get through the Hesperides' Garden. Or Ladon, for that matter. In the stories, Hercules had fought the dragon off, but we didn't have the strength to do that.

"Like I said before, why don't Leo and I distract Ladon while you guys deal with the Hesperides? They were never told to be fighters, just that they had a powerful daddy." Piper said for the fifth time.

"No way! One that leaves us at a serious disadvantage with numbers, and Ladon's dangerous. There's a reason the Hesperides' don't need to fight much." Nico argued. "Plus, if we do get past the Hesperides, what are you two going to do?"

"Fry him with my awesome Leo Powers, of course." exclaimed Leo.

"Unless he fries you, or does something even worse, before that." stated Thalia.

I sighed, "Guys, we also might have reinforcements coming."

"Yeah, we know, Annie." Thalia snapped. "But that's the thing, _might_ have reinforcements. If they don't get here in time, we can't leave half our team fighting a dragon while the other half is up there fighting well-trained demigods and some other possible things!" Thalia exclaimed in one breath.

"I know, Thalia." I rubbed my temples. "If they don't get here by 7:55, then we assume they aren't coming, okay?"

Thalia sighed, but nodded. "Fine."

"We have another problem we need to address." I said. The group looked at me grimly. "The Hesperides seem like they don't fight, but that's not true."

"What do you mean?" Piper asked, confused.

"In some legends, Hesperides were quite deadly. They would convince a female demigod who wanted to enter the mountain to dance. And-"

"They would dance them to death." Nico supplied, realization dawning I his eyes.

Thalia's eyes widened. "Okay, that's incredibly creepy." Piper nodded in agreement.

"W-what..." Leo gulped. "What did they do to guys?"

I almost cracked a smile at his terrified expression. Almost. "Oh, they didn't do that to men. They liked them because they weren't allowed to leave the garden and they didn't get to see them often."

"Oh." Leo breathed a sigh of relief. "So they're a bunch of super hot girls who are boy-crazy?"

Piper grimaced, "Don't forget super insane." She turned to me. "So what should we do, now that we have two problems?"

"We need to make to plans. Plan A, if Reyna's group _does_ show up on time, and Plan B, if they don't." I concluded.

Piper nodded. "Okay, so let's work on Plan A first. If Jason and the rest do show up on time, then what should we do?"

"We would have seven people then. We could leave the fastest here. Have them try to give Ladon a wild goose chase while everyone else sneaks away." Nico suggested.

I shook my head. "That might've worked, but Ladon doesn't travel far from what it protects."

Nico nodded in understanding. "Right, forgot about that." He sighed. "What do you suggest?"

Three pairs of eyes looked at me expectantly. "I'm not sure. We aren't here to steal the Golden Apples, like all the rest. And that's what Ladon protects, not the actual passage to the mountain."

"Okay, so what?" asked Thalia impatiently.

"So, for Plan A, if we stay on the outskirts of the garden, and we have one distractions we should be okay. That, and if Thalia, Piper and I can stop ourselves from dancing with the Hesperides. Than once we're on the other side of Ladon, then we cause a distraction and get the last guy across."

Leo shrugged along with the other two demigods. "How can you guys not dance with the Hesperides, though?"

I sighed. "Thalia, Piper, we are going to cover our ears with our hands. We need to block them out as best as we can. Nico, I want you to restrain Thalia. Hold onto her waist or something. Just keep her from dancing." Nico nodded. "Piper, your going to sing as loudly as you can. That's how the Hesperides are going to try to get us to dance, so if you can overpower them, we all have a better chance at surviving. And if you can't overpower them, try singing in your head or to your self. Anything to block it out."

"What will you do?" Thalia asked, her eyes showing concern.

I grimaced. "Recite my plans for a building I was thinking of building in Camp Half Blood." Seeing my friends dubious looks I elaborated. "Athena children get very focused on their jobs, we can usually concentrate fully on one thing for at least ten minutes. Then our ADHD kicks in, but I should be good."

"Fine, fair enough." Leo said after a few minutes of mulling it over. "What about Plan B?

"Honestly, now that I think of it, I think the strategy could work for both. Only difference is that Reyna will have to concentrate on battle strategies to keep her mind off the Hesperides. Grover can restrain her." I looked over at Leo, remembering that I had left him out.

"That's true." Leo consented. "So who is gonna be the 'big distraction'?"

"Someone who is good at being loud, obnoxious and isn't a front row fighter." We all looked at Leo. "No offense to anyone." I added.

Leo grinned like a madman. "No offense taken! I'm gonna rock this show! Ladon, better watch out for the Leo!" Under his brave facade, I could see how nervous he was. It made me gain new respect for Leo. Before, I had always thought of him as the little kid of the group. While everyone else could be serious and mature, Leo always smiled and joked. For the longest time, I had thought he was just being childish, laughing the worries off. But right at that moment, when I saw Leo accepting probably one of the most dangerous things he had ever done in his life, I realized that Leo wasn't a kid. He had been through just as much as the rest of us, besides Percy.

Apparently the rest of the group saw this as well, besides Piper who looked at Leo in pride instead of surprise. Obviously she had known for a while. Thalia nodded her head in respect. "Ladon's in for a hell of a time."

Leo grinned and bobbed his head. "You got it right there, Ms. Lightening."

_Line Break~

**Percy's POV**

I couldn't think clearly anymore. And if I could, then my thoughts would never focus on anything, instead drifting from topic to topic. Only one thing was present during the entire time. The pain. It hurt. It hurt so badly. I wanted to scream. I wanted to collapse. I wanted to just curl up and die. I wanted to so badly. Yet I didn't. I couldn't, not when I knew the world was depending on me staying on my feet. When it got really bad, I started thinking of people I loved. Grover, Frank, Leo, Piper, Jason, Hazel, Reyna too. Nico, with his determined, strong character. Thalia, with her tough yet understanding demeanor. My mother, with her sparkling blue eyes and loving personality. Annabeth. Her beautiful blonde hair. Her intelligent grey eyes. Her strong character. Whenever I thought of them, no matter how much I was ready to give up, I held on. I couldn't abandon these people, couldn't hurt them.

I didn't know how much time had passed by, but it seemed like it had been centuries. The pain burned deeply into every thought I had, every breath I took.

"Well well, Perseus. You have lasted for an extremely long time. I thought you would've collapsed days ago." Nat's voice cut through a few layers of pain.

I didn't respond, I wasn't going to waste my energy on replying.

"What's kept you going, hmm?" He chuckled. "It couldn't be because you're a mommy's boy, now could it Perseus? Or maybe it's your little friends? Are you holding the sky for them, too?"

I focused on my breathing.

"Well you won't have to worry about your friends anymore. They're coming up here soon, and we'll be waiting for them. Might as well say good bye to them now, Perseus." He laughed again and moved away.

_No! N-not them... _My thoughts had jumbled up in the past days as well as my speech. _P-please... Please, Gods... a-any one o-of you... please h-help them... _I trailed off, my strength waning from the small thought. _Please._

_Line Break~

**Leo's POV**

I took deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. _You can do this. _I grinned at my teammates. "Well, this is gonna be a blast!"

Thalia raised an eyebrow at me as Piper sighed. "It's okay to be nervous, Leo." She said quietly.

I tried to pull off my best prankster smirk. "Nervous? Leo the Great nervous? Why the heck would I be? I got fire at the tips of my fingers," I demonstrated by letting a small flame dance across my fingers on my left hand. "a double-sided hammer," I pulled it out of my tool belt with my right hand. "and breath mints!" I extinguished the flame and brought out the mints.

Piper laughed like I hoped she would. "Like breath mints would do a lot against a dragon."

"Hey, maybe the dragon wants fresh breath."

"In what world?"

"The Greek world, obviously." I said with a roll of my eyes.

"I'm pretty sure it would only work in your messed up world, Leo."

"Same difference."

Piper rolled her eyes, but grinned. "Machine boy."

"Beauty queen."

"Car-obsessed loon."

"Charm-speaking freak."

"Robot-building fanatic."

"Aphrod-" I was cut off from my retort by the sharp, yet low, beep of a watch.

Annabeth looked down at her watch grimly. She looked back up. "Plan B, then."

All our spirits dampened. We had all been secretly hoping for any kind of reinforcements, and the fact that they weren't coming brought us down.

I forced a smirk on my face, a small one, but it was there. "Show time, kids!"

Annabeth nodded with a grim yet determined look on her face. "We will survive this," she looked everyone in the eyes as she said this. "And we will rescue Percy."

"Of course we will, Annie." Thalia said.

I laughed, a grim almost hysterical one. "Less talk, more Plan B!" I winked and started to slowly make my way over.

Annabeth and the others followed me slowly a few yards behind me.

"Demigods." I pivoted and spotted four unbelievably beautiful girls. They wore long Greek chitons which flowed to their ankles. They had beautiful black hair that tumbled down their shoulders in dark waves. Their eyes were an obsidian black, cold and proud. They had carmel colored skin. All in all, they were gorgeous.

"Hello, ladies." I drawled in my best flirty tone. I failed miserably. "There a problem, amigos?"

The Hesperid on the end of the line they had formed stepped forward. "Demigods, you should not be here." Her voice was beautiful and elegant, and she spoke in a very old context. "Why are thou here?" **(Sorry, I can't really type old English...)**

"We aren't here to steal your apples if that's what you mean." Nico spoke up. "We just want to get up the mountain."

One Hesperid narrowed her eyes coldly. "Why does thee want to? It is where our Father used to hold the sky."

Her eyes widened slightly at her statement, and her sisters' eyes did as well. I raised on eyebrow. "'Used', as in, not anymore?" The Hesperides shifted uncomfortably. I took that as a yes. I glanced at Annabeth. She had speculated that Percy was the one holding it, but it hadn't really crashed down on me until that moment. _Percy's holding the sky? _I thought in disbelief.

"It is of no matter." The first Hesperid dismissed. "Do not go up the mountain. Turn back."

I shook my head, "Not gonna happen. We're not leaving without Percy."

The Hesperides looked disappointed. "Just remember," The first Hesperid said. "We warned thee."

In unison the Hesperides started to sing. **(Okay, so I don't know how this whole 'dance to death' thing works. I don't know how only females fall for it, so I'm just gonna make this part up. Sorry.)**

I personally didn't hear anything, but it had an immediate effect on the girls. They all tensed and started muttering to themselves. Annabeth started murmuring things about a structure of some sort, counting bolts and screws. Piper started singing Don't Stop Believing by the Journey. It seemed to help the girls some, but not enough to overpower the four Hesperides. Thalia just shut her eyes and squeezed Nico's hand. He whispered things into her ear as he started to lead her and the other girls around the outskirts of the tree to the path. The Hesperides did nothing to stop them except one thing.

One Hesperid momentarily stopped singing, only to shout. "Ladon! Wake!"

I sucked in a deep breath. I had never actually thought about what it looked like before. Let me tell you something, it was ugly. It had a million heads and scales with a coppery gleam to them. I gulped nervously, _Here goes my life. _"Ladon, my amigo. How the heck are ya?"

One of Ladon's many heads roared at me.

I took one whiff of it's breath and immediately choked. "Oh, oh phew! Wow, maybe my breath mints will come in handy. Would you like a breath mint, big guy?" I asked as I slowly approached it. "Or maybe a nice chunk 'o meat? C'mon, what do you like? Lamb? Pork? Chicken? Personally I like beef the best."

Ladon looked slightly confused as I approached, obviously that was not regular behavior of it's prey. Confused or not, it still looked menacing as ever as it roared yet again at me.

I slowly raised my right hand. "I can cook you whatever you want. I got my trusty old tool belt with me, and fire at the tips of my fingers. What do you say, hmm?"

In the corner of my eye I could see the girls and Nico almost to the pathway. Nico was lugging Thalia along, trying desperately to keep her from dancing. It was obvious the singing was getting to her as well as Piper and Annabeth. Piper had given up on singing out loud and was mouthing words to herself. Annabeth was biting her lip, her hand in fists by her head.

_Hey, _I suddenly thought. _If Piper can't over power the Hesperides by singing, maybe I know someone who could be louder. _I focused my attention on Ladon, the million headed dragon. And of course all of his heads had mouths, and what could the mouths of a dragon do? Roar. I smirked slightly, _Now, what could make a dragon roar?_

I looked at Ladon. "Hey Ladon, you're a dragon. Have you ever played with fire?" As I finished my sentence I suddenly blasted a wave of fire out of my hands. It consumed the dragon for almost a minute before it burned away. Ladon was a dragon, so he obviously wasn't hurt too badly by the flames but they did leave a few scorch marks in his scales.

He bellowed so loudly, all of California could have probably heard it. The Hesperides stopped singing in shock, giving Nico the chance he needed to herd the stunned girls up the path a safe distance away. He waved at me frantically, motioning that it was time to go. I didn't need to be told, er, signaled, twice. I bolted right past the still bellowing dragon and up the path. I practically crashed into Nico.

He was looking at the Hesperides direction. I turned towards them as well, just in time to see them shimmer and turn into shadows. Nico and I stood there in stunned silence for a few seconds.

"Yeah, baby! That's what I'm talking about!" I yelled, and punched the air. "No one messes with the Leo!"

Nico grinned. "We did it. We got past them!" He turned to me and we high-fived.

A groan brought us back to reality. Piper had both hands on the sides of her head. "Ow. Gods, that just gave me a major head ache." She mumbled.

"I know what you mean." Thalia brought her hands to rub her eyes. "That hurt like Hades."

"Well it would've been worse if you started dancing, so count yourselves lucky." Nico said, though anyone could see the brotherly concern in his eyes.

Annabeth sighed. Her fingers slowly massaged her temples. "We do, Nico, trust me." She straightened from her bent position and looked around. "Okay, it's about 7:57pm, now. Let's start walking up." She turned around and helped Piper up from where she was kneeling on the ground.

Piper groaned, but stood. She swayed slightly before she regained her balance. "Ugh, after this I'm gonna go take a nap."

Annabeth turned to me. "Good job with keeping Ladon busy. I didn't see any of it, but you must've done a good job considering we got through without getting shredded."

I smiled, a genuine smile. "It was nothing. Anything to get Percy back, am I right?" During the month Percy had been at my school, I had grown to look up to him. He was just the kind of guy you knew you could always count on. And I would do anything to get him back.

The rest of the group nodded at my question.

"Time to kick some enemy butt!" I said as I started trudging up the hill.

_Line Break~

**Jason's POV**

It was around 7:57pm when we arrived at the base of Mt. Tam. We didn't see any of our friends, but I knew they had been there. Quite recently, too. Ladon had burn marks on his scales and he was bellowing like there was no tomorrow. I didn't see any of the Hesperides. Reyna, Grover and I had discussed what to do about Ladon and the Hesperides on the plane ride. After an hour of debating what to do, we decided on a plan. I would send a gust of wind on the far side of Ladon, close enough for him to hear, but far enough so we could run past. If the Hesperides showed up, Reyna would cover her ears while I guided her. Grover would be playing his Pan Pipes to try to drown out the worst part of the Hesperides song.

We immediately set our plan into motion, we knew that we only had a few minutes to get through the garden. I set a gust of wind to the right side of Ladon. Although he was still bellowing he remembered his job. He moved towards the sound, giving us the chance we needed. We made a mad dash right behind him.

I could see shadows starting to form, but we were already three-quarters of the way to the path. I pushed myself faster and faster until I was sprinting up the path, Reyna right in front of me and Grover at my heels. We all bent over trying to catch our breath after our sprint. I looked out over the garden and saw the four Hesperides. They were staring at us disapprovingly, but did nothing. I could've sworn one mouthed the word, 'Fools' before they all disappeared into shadows.

I turned to Reyna and Grover. "So, I'm guessing that was Leo who made the scorch marks in Ladon's scales."

Grover nodded. "Most likely, there isn't anyone else who would have the power, or get carried away like that." He shrugged. "Let's hope that means the others made it through."

Reyna checked her watch. "It's 7:59pm. We should get going. I'm willing to bet that they left earlier, thinking that we wouldn't get here fast enough. They're probably half way up by now."

"Shouldn't we Iris message them?" I asked.

Reyna shook her head. "No, we can't lose anymore time. Let's go now, before we waste anymore time."

I sighed but nodded, she _was_ the one leading the quest.

_Line Break~

**Annabeth's POV**

I held up my hand, signaling for the others to stop. I slowly crept towards a pile of stones, cautiously peering over the top. I waved the others over when I saw that we were a safe distance away. I scanned the scene before me again, and barely held in a gasp.

I saw nine demigods, all obviously waiting for something. In the lead was a man with sandy blond hair and a scar running down his face. I assumed he was the leader of the group by the way he radiated superiority. He had a sword resting in his hand, the tip pressed to the earth. The sword gave off a pure evil feel to it. It was half bronze and half regular metal. _It can hurt both monsters and mortals._ I thought with a jolt. _Why would he want that?_

There were three demigods on both of his sides, in a V position. On the leader's left was a huge boy with an equally huge sword. Obviously a child of Ares.

Next to the child of Ares was a girl. She was Asian and incredibly beautiful. She had a slender knife in one hand, but by the way she gripped it I could tell that she wasn't very experienced with it. _So if she still is of value to 'Nat', even though she isn't a fighter, she must have godly powers. From her looks I'm guessing she's an Aphrodite, and the only useful power they have in a battle is charm-speaking. She must be very powerful then._ I glanced at Piper, noticing that she as well was sizing up the same demigod. I raised an eyebrow at her, asking a silent question. She shrugged slightly, telling me that she didn't know if she was the more powerful charm-speaker of the two.

The person after the Asian Aphrodite girl was a boy. He had a bow in his hand and a quiver on his back. Judging on that and the fact that he had blond hair, I guessed that he was a son of Apollo._  
_

On the leader's right was another boy. He had an eyepatch and was holding a sword. His grip alone told me he was a good fighter.

After the boy with the eyepatch was a muscular boy. He wasn't as buff as the one to the leader's left, but he still had enough muscle to be wary of. He had machine oil in his hair and in his hands was a very large wrench. A Hephaestus child through and through. I glanced at Leo. It was hard to think that the muscular guy in front of me was related to the scrawny little kid next to me. Leo caught my eye and smirked. He let the smallest flame dance over his hand before promptly extinguishing it. I got his message: He doesn't have fire power.

After him was a boy. He looked pretty average with a sword in hand and a shield in his other. I didn't know what was so special about him, but if he was with 'Nat' he must've had something to offer.

Thalia nudged me. When I turned slightly to look at her she pointed up. My head jerked up to see two other people. A beautiful girl was mounted on a white pegasus. She had a sword, and was looking down at the others, thankfully not high enough to see us.

On a column sat a boy with brown hair and mischievous blue eyes. He held a tense pose with clenched fists.

"Nat! How much longer?" The girl on the Pegasus called down.

The boy in the lead turned to look up at her slightly, "I don't know." He replied cooly. "We don't have an information source that's reliable on them."

"So we're just sitting here like ducks?" She asked, irritation clear in her voice.

'Nat', or as I had previously learned Luke, replied smoothly back. "Aura, they're coming. They won't leave their dear friend here. Especially not with him being in such a... predicament." _Aura=Silena. _I thought, making the connections. Luke turned around, looking at something that I hadn't noticed before.

The other demigods did as well. I heard the breath leave Thalia in a soft whoosh. Leo, Nico and Piper all let out low gasps. I, myself, was too shocked to do anything but stare. There was the sky. I had never seen it in person. It was shocking. A huge mass of swirling water vapor and air. Even more shocking was the person holding it.

Black messy hair. Tanned skin over just enough muscle. Percy.

"Percy..." The whisper escaped me in a tiny breath.

Thalia had her hand over her mouth, trying to stifle a sob. A laid a hand on her shoulder. She relaxed slightly, only to tense up again as Luke started speaking.

"Well, Perseus. What do _you_ make of this? Do you think your friends are coming to get you? To rescue you? Or do you think they ran away, gave up hope. Or maybe," Luke chuckled coldly. "they never tried at all."

Percy made no move to reply.

"Aw, is little Perseus tired?" The big Ares boy sneered.

"Of course he is, Ramsn. But don't worry Percy. Soon one of your little friends will come and take your place." The Asian girl said in a sickly sweet tone. _Ramsn=Mark. _I remembered.

"Who will it be?" The archer mused.

"Maybe the Aphrodite girl." Replied the boy with the shield and sword. "She seems dumb enough to try."

The archer on the ground laughed. "You might just be right, Roz." _Roz=Chris._

"Or it could be that daughter of Zues." The Asian girl said. "She is his cousin."

"Actually, Anna, that is a very good point." The boy with the eye-patch said. _Anna=Drew._

Luke smirked at Percy. "Huh, would you like them to take your spot, Perseus?"

Once again, Percy didn't make a sound.

"Oh, maybe he'd rather that annoying scrawny kid, Leo I think." The Hephaestus child said.

"I don't know, Sam." The one with the eye patch said yet again. "I don't think he's strong enough to hold the sky." _Sam=Jake._

"True, Mak." _Mak=Ethan. _I thought, keeping a list of the names.

"I don't think any of them would have enough courage to hold the sky." The one boy who hadn't spoken yet said. He was the one sitting on the column.

Luke looked at him. "Oh? Then who do you think would hold the sky, Los?" _Los=Travis..._

"I think that Athena girl will take it." Travis said simply.

"Why so?" Luke asked, intrigued.

Travis looked at him dead in the eyes. "She loves him."

My mouth popped open in shock. _"She loves him." __It's true. _I thought, not a doubt in my mind. _But how'd he know. _My friends seemed to have the same question. I quickly caught their attention by waving my hand slightly. They looked at me expectantly. I knew we had to strike while they were preoccupied. I started counting down from ten. They nodded, they were ready. _Ten.__  
_

"How do you know?" Silena asked curiously. "Not that you're wrong, because you're right, but how'd you know?" _Nine.__  
_

"I know what love feels like." Travis said. _Eight._

"Oh, did you have a girlfriend we didn't know about?" Drew asked, her eyes lighting up at the prospect of having something new to gossip about. _Seven.__  
_

Travis shook his head. "No. I had a brother." His statement swept across the summit, silencing everything by it's pure truth. There are different sides to love. The kind that lasts a while but slowly fades away. The kind that is instant, but quickly leaves. And the kind that comes quickly, but never seeps away. Always there. That's the kind of love that soul mates have. That's the kind of love that family has. _Six._

After the shock of power from Travis's words, Luke turned back to Percy. "So, the blond is our best guess right now. Would you like that? Not having to hold the sky anymore? Relieving yourself of the pain?" _Five._

I expected Percy to stay silent like he had the past two times, but he surprised both us and Luke by speaking. "N-no. Leave them a-alone." _Four._

Luke looked slightly impressed. "Wow, nice job. I'm surprised. I didn't think you had it in you to speak." _Three._

We were all surprised again when Percy replied. "Sucks when you're surprised doesn't it?" _Two._

I smiled. _Of course Percy would make small talk with his captives. _"What do you mean?" Luke asked. _One._

Percy never got the chance to answer. As soon as I hit zero, Piper with her dagger drawn, Leo with his hammers flaming, Nico with his Stygian sword and shadows, Thalia with her spear and shield and I charged.

_Line Break~

**Grover's POV**

We had almost reached the summit. We had to walk halfway because of the steepness of the mountain, but we sped right up again when we came close to the summit. We heard the beginning of a battle.

**Hello. I'm really sorry about how random these updates are. That's pretty much it. Take it easy, U got 2 get down 2 get up**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hi. Thanks for reading! ), Sorry about the cliff hanger, I didn't have the motivations to write the last part. Lauren, Thanks, I hope it lives up to your expectations. Drinkingthestarswithbob, Haha, okay! Kate, Thank you so much! I'm so happy my writing improved! That really means a lot to me! Thanks a lot, you three! You're the only reason I actually tried writing this chapter! :)**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Percy Jackson or any of it's characters. All right's belong to Rick Riordan.**

**Annabeth's POV**

"What the Styx?" I heard someone shout, but I wasn't paying attention to them. I was paying attention to the fight.

Piper went straight for Drew while Silena flew down to back her up. I thought two against one was a little unfair, but then again, we had four and they had nine. Besides, Piper was a good fighter and was holding her own. Thalia shot two bolts of lightening up towards Travis and Lee. Lee was sent sprawling to the ground, being hit dead center. Travis, on the other hand, somehow managed to dodge the lightening bolt, but he was forced to jump down because he lost his balance. Leo then immediately engaged Travis and a dazed Lee in a fight.

Thalia smirked then went for Mark and Jake.

Nico and Ethan were in a sword fight. I was amazed by the level of skill shown by both demigods. The swords flashed in a series of strikes and parries.

I charged straight towards Percy, intent on getting him out of there somehow, but was intercepted by Chris and Luke.

"Finally! It took you demigods long enough!" Chris laughed. I was slightly unnerved by his laugh, it was on the edge of insanity.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, the heat here really gets to you." I replied as I took a fighting stance, readying my grip on my knife.

"I think it's the weather, personally. It's like the sky anchored here!" Chris smiled as he advanced.

Luke smiled at me, a smile that didn't match the look of menace in his eyes. "Oh, don't apologize! We waited for you." On the last word he charged. I was wary of Luke, he was the leader after all. His first strike came swiftly and powerfully, it probably would've killed me instantly. However, years of practice in the arena and on monsters kept me alive. I dodged out of the way just in time to parry away another strike from Chris.

_Block, stab, roll, parry. Parry, stab, roll. _My mind went on auto-pilot. In the few minutes that I had been fighting, I was already drenched in sweat. Every few seconds I'd get a glimpse of the battle around me. I saw Piper beating the two Aphrodite girls easily. She twirled and sliced with a grace that only the Blessing of Aphrodite could give. Her aura was strong, pushing her enemies back.

Leo was doing pretty well, too. He had lost one of his hammers, but that only gave him a free hand to shoot flames with. He slashed with his hammer in his right hand while he shot hot white flames out of the other. Travis and Lee were having a hard time not getting scorched.

Thalia wasn't having as easy of a time as Piper and Leo. Both Jake and Mark were extremely strong, and though Thalia was quick she must've been tiring. Her spear still crackled with electricity though, so I took that as a good sign. Though Thalia was having a hard time, so was Jake and Mark. Their foreheads were beaded with sweat as they dodged bolt of electricity along with spear thrusts.

I couldn't focus on the others, though. I had my own problems. Luke and Chris were quickly gaining an advantage on me. I was tired and out-numbered. I jumped back just in time to avoid being impaled by Luke's sword. _Styx. _I thought. _I can't keep up with this. Their to good. _I pivoted on my heel to parry a strike from Chris away.

"Oh, you look a little tired." Luke taunted as he swung his sword in a large arc.

I ducked, staying on defense. Even though my brain told me not to, my pride made me speak. "Nope, I'm good. Are you guys _trying _at all?"

I immediately regretted being so arrogant as Chris took a swipe at my mid-section, barely missing me. "I guess you are smart, daughter of Athena. We aren't trying."

Both Chris and Luke started striking faster than before. I cursed and tried not to be sliced into pieces.

_Line Break~

Another few minutes of fighting, and I felt like I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't keep up with the fight. I couldn't parry any more strikes. I just couldn't. My body started shutting down even though my mind screamed that I couldn't. _You have to fight! You have to get up! Parry! Dodge! FIGHT! _It yelled. I sloppily parried another swing. _  
_

_I can't! _My body replied. _I can't do this anymore!_

_Yes, you can! _My mind countered. _Remember why you're fighting!_

_Why am I fighting?_

_PERCY JACKSON! _My mind screamed the reminder at me. _You are fighting for Perseus Jackson! He has black silky hair, tan skin, and beautiful sea green eyes that should always hold joy and laughter!_

The thought brought out some reserve of strength I didn't know I had. The new found strength coursed through my body, making my strikes faster, my feet swifter. Even my head cleared a little. I didn't know exactly what the strength was or where it had come from. Some might've called it adrenaline. Some might've said endorphins. However, at the time, no matter how un-Athena, I called it love. **(Sorry it's so mushy right there.)**

My enemies seemed just as surprised by my sudden burst of energy as I was. Chris took a startled step back when my dagger almost stabbed him. Luke's eyes widened as he fought, but he didn't lose focus.

"How did you do that?" Luke demanded as he backed up slightly to avoid being cut.

I smiled at him. "I have no idea, but I love it!" I switched from the defensive mode I had been on the entire fight, to an offense mode. Luke and Chris fought back hard, but my strength didn't wane as I drove them back.

I soon found myself back to back with Thalia. She was drenched in sweat, but was still fighting strongly.

"How you doing?" I asked breathlessly as I parried.

She grunted with effort as she shot a bolt of lightening at Mark. "Not terrific, but I could be doing worse."

I nodded, we were all in that position. "We need to get Percy! We can't win this fight!"

"Agreed." Nico came towards us from my left. He wasn't exactly retreating, but more like leading Ethan closer to our fight. He soon joined us facing the enemies. His back was towards us as we formed a triangle. "But how can we get out of this? We're out-numbered!"

I glanced over at Piper. She had just struck Silena over the head with a rock. Silena crumpled to the ground, knocked out cold. Drew backed up, clearly not in her element.

"Stay back!" Drew screeched, her charm-speak forcing Leo, Travis and Lee to stumble backwards away from them from where they had been fighting ten yards away.

Piper, however, was not affected at all. "Your charm-speak doesn't work on me. I'm more powerful than you."

Drew shook her head. "It's not possible! I'm the most powerful charm-speaker!" Her voice held insecurity, like she was trying to convince herself.

Piper sighed. "Believe what you want." She then promptly knocked Drew out. Piper turned towards us. Her eyes widened at the predicament we were in. "STOP!" Her one command had us all freeze on the spot, including Leo and his opponents. Piper sprinted towards us. "Annabeth, Thalia, Nico, Leo, un-freeze!"

We were immediately unfrozen. I turned straight to Luke, ready for a sneak-attack.

He somehow had slightly moved, defying Piper's command. I didn't want to think about how willful he must've been if he could defy her orders.

Piper caught up to us and pulled us out of the circle of enemies we had been closed into. "We got to think fast. My charm-speak won't hold forever."

I nodded in understanding. "We have to get Percy!"

"How?" Nico's voice was dark. "We need one person to hold the sky. And from the fight that we are going back into in a few minutes," He looked over to Luke and the others. "we're gonna need ever person we got."

I breathed in deeply. We were so close to getting Percy, and yet so unbearably far. We stared at each other, each trying to figure out who would be the unlucky person to hold the sky.

Thalia took a breath. "I guess we know why the prophecy meant." Seeing Leo's confused face, she continued. "_Out of the friends,_"

"_There will be only one,_" Piper remembered._  
_

"_Who has a chance at saving Poseidon's son._" I finished grimly. "Who's gonna be left behind?"

We looked at each other, our gazes locking on the ground finally in shame. As heroic as we pretended to be, we weren't heroes. We were kids. We wanted to live out our lives. We wanted to go to college. To settle down, to raise a family. We didn't want to be stuck under the sky, holding it until we die. We weren't that selfless.

I pictured what I would be when I grew up. I had always had big dreams of being an architect, creating a new world. I could practically see the skyscrapers I would build. I could see the monuments and statues and parks. But I couldn't see myself. I tried again, picturing what I would look like in ten years or so.

Two months ago, I could see myself perfectly. I would have a business suit on and would be drawing blueprints and sketches for my next structure. I would be surrounded by friends and a significant other. But at that moment on top of the summit, I couldn't see that. I felt a painful loss when I pictured myself without Percy. What would I have been without him? Without his sea green eyes? Without his crooked smile? Without his beautiful personality? Nothing. He was my balance, the fun and laughter in my serious attitude. I needed him, and he sure as Hades needed me.

"I'll hold it." My head whipped up to stare at Piper. She stared defiantly back. "I'll hold it."

"No, Piper!" Leo yelled. His eyes were full of panic. "I can't lose you!"

Piper looked at Leo sadly. "Sorry, Leo. But I'm not needed like you guys are. Annabeth, you practically run the camp, people look up to you as a leader. Thalia, you are the best warrior we have. We can't lose your determination. Nico, you know the realm know other demigod has ever been remotely close to figuring out. You walk among the Underworld without fear. Leo, you're the camp's best and brightest mechanic, the Hephaestus Would be lost without you."

"And the Aphrodite cabin will be lost without you, Piper! You changed the Aphrodite cabin from a bunch of shallow teenagers, into the most graceful warriors!" Thalia butted in.

"They don't need me like the campers need you guys." Piper explained softly. "You guys are all so unique and powerful, they don't need a charm-speaker."

"But you're the most powerful charm-speaker we have!" Nico tried.

"And you're the only son of Hades. The Ghost King, even. My siblings can hone their charm-speak, get more powerful. No one can practice being the son of Hades."

I squeezed my eyes shut. The logic was working on me.

"And me? I'm just a mechanic. My siblings can "hone" their skills to match mine as well." Leo's voice was full of panic. I could see how losing Piper would affect him. She and Jason were the closest thing he had to family. "Please, Pipes!"

Piper shook her head, her eyes becoming cloudy with tears. "No Leo. You are the only fire user in the whole camp. We can't lose you."

Just as Leo was about to retort with something, I noticed a glint in the air.

"Piper watch out!" I screamed.

Piper, along with the rest of the group, whirled around in time to see Luke's sword coming down in an arc straight towards Piper's head.

I screamed again and tried to move forward, but it felt like I was chained to the floor. I could only watch as Piper shut her eyes and raised her hand in an instinctual defense.

I shut my eyes tight, not wanting to see what would happen in the next second.

CLANG! The sound of metal meeting metal made my eyes snap open. I almost laughed in relief. Standing in front of Piper, his golden sword blocking the deadly blow and blue eyes shining with rage, was none other than Jason Grace. And he was seriously pissed.

"_No one_ hurts Piper McLean." Jason's sword started to crackle with electricity. "_No one._" The electricity exploded outward, sending Luke flying backwards till he finally hit a slab of stone. Luke slid down, almost unconscious.

"Jason..." Piper whispered.

He turned around slowly, still seething. However, his face softened when he saw Piper. "Pipes..." He rushed towards her, wrapping her up in a protective hug. He kissed her on the lips.

"How did you..." Piper trailed off, looking for the words.

Jason smirked. "How did I get here?" Piper nodded. "We came to the Hesperides Garden at around 7:57pm. The sun was still setting, giving us enough time to make it through and run up here."

I finally got over my shock enough to see Grover and Reyna standing off to the side. "You guys made it!"

"Of course we did! We didn't want to miss the fun." Grover smiled at me.

Reyna said nothing staring at the ground. I could feel underlying tension in the group, but that wasn't a priority at the moment.

"Okay, it's great that you guys made it." Thalia said, a little bit impatient. "But we don't know how to proceed from here. Percy is holding the sky over there, and we can't figure out a way to get him out from under there, while still having everyone."

"Okay, who was going to hold it before we got here?" Reyna asked.

Thalia looked towards Piper who had turned around to face the others.

Jason's grip around her waste tightened. "No. Piper's not going."

Piper spun around in his arms, about to reason why she should, but I cut her off.

"No, Piper isn't going." Ten heads jerked to stare at me.

"Then who is?" Grover asked. I could see in their eyes how much they saw me as the leader. Whoever I said would go. It made me cringe to think of how loyal they all were, I wasn't their king.

"I am."

My statement caused an uproar among my friends. Reyna's eyes widened, while Grover's mouth popped open in shock. Leo started yelling at me in Spanish.

"What?" Thalia shrieked. "You're our leader!"

"No way!" Nico protested.

Piper shook her head vigorously.

Jason was the only one who held judgement. "Why do you think you should go?"

I took a deep breath. "Piper's argument was that she wasn't anything special. But you are, Piper. You're the most powerful charm-speaker and we need you. I am one of the whole Athena cabin. They are all just as smart, or smarter than I am. Plus, they can learn."

"Annabe-"

I cut Thalia off. "That's not the only thing. Thalia, do you remember the first day I met Percy?"

Thalia looked confused. "Yeah, I introduced him to you at lunch. You stared into his eyes for five minutes the-" Thalia cut herself off. She drew in a startled breath. "Then I said you were in love." She whispered, understanding dawning in her eyes.

I nodded. The group looked at me intently.

"You see?" I asked hesitantly. "I'm nothing without Percy."

Silence settled onto our group. It was broken when a groan was heard from Luke. I turned just in time to see Luke trying to get up, only to fall once again.

"We have to act now." Piper said, her eyes trained on the slowly unfreezing enemy. "I don't know if I can pull off another stunt like that." She readied her dagger.

Jason stood his back towards the group. He readjusted his grip on his sword, waiting for the fight. "We can take them."

"Annabeth," Thalia leaned towards me, wrapping me in a hug. "Please don't do this. Percy's my cousin, you shouldn't have to do this."

"Thals," I whispered. "I want to."

She looked at me with piercing blue eyes. "You're really serious on this?"

I nodded without hesitation. "More than you know."

She looked pained. "We'll come back. Find a way to get you back. We won't stop until you're back with us." She punctuated her statement by recharging her spear with extra energy. "And don't worry about them," she jerked her chin towards Luke and the other enemies. "we won't let them lay a hand on you."

I managed a wavering grin. "I expect nothing less."

"Whatever, Annie." I could tell there was deeper emotions hidden under the surface of her sarcastic tone, but I didn't pursue them. It wasn't the time.

"Bye, Thalia."

"Not 'goodbye', just see you later." Thalia said firmly, leaving no room for argument.

"See ya later." I whispered, then darted off.

_Line Break~

**Grover's POV**

I never got to say a proper goodbye to Annabeth. Right after Thalia pulled her in for a hug, Jason charged forward. I hadn't noticed until then, but the enemies had already unfrozen and were starting to charge us.

My vision went red. We were going to sacrifice one of our own team mates -family members- to save Percy from _them. _I wasn't going to let them to any more damage.

I put my Pan pipes to my lips, readying myself for the first challenger. I scanned the enemy, there were two girls. The rest of the team was made out of men.

I could tell you about all of the individually, but I was looking for one person in particular. A certain boy with a certain brother waiting for him back at Camp Half-Blood.

Unfortunately I was challenged before I could spot Travis Stoll. A demigod with a bow on his back sprinted towards me. I raised my eye brow at him, he didn't seem like a front-row-fighter. He struck me as more of a distance warrior. An archer, or ambusher. Not a close range person.

The first swipe he took at me went a few inches to my right._ Good thing he isn't experienced with a sword. _I thought as I easily dodged another strike. I danced around him, dodging this way and that.

When I finally found an opening in his surprisingly good defense, I raised my Pan Pipes to my lips. I started a song.

I usually played only pop songs, or classics. Never something of real depth. But I felt something different this time. Something deeper than my normal reserve of strength.

The song started as a pop song. Something lively and fun. But then I felt it. Something was stirring deep inside of me. I could feel it in the very essence of my being. It was powerful, and strong. The power of the Wild.

The song switched from the energetic pop song, to a slow melody. It wove up and down, loud and very soft at the same time. It sorta reminded me of a creak. It trickled and flowed, bringing a new feeling to the air.

"Wh-what? What is this?!" The archer's blue eyes were wide as he tried to swipe the roots that had suddenly exploded from the ground.

I didn't know myself, but I couldn't take my concentration off my magic to see what it was really doing. I heard others starting to yell. Whether they were foe or friend, I couldn't tell.

"Grover, keep going!" I heard the distinct voice of Piper yell. "We'll keep them away from you!"

I glanced up just long enough to register that Piper, Jason and Leo were spread out in a triangle around me, keeping the enemies at bay. Thalia and Nico were a duo of electricity and shadows. No one could even lay a hand on them, much less get a swipe in. They were all over the summit, but I realized that they were mostly targeting the leader. (who I guessed as none other then Luke Castellan.) I couldn't see where Reyna was, but I was sure she was reeking havoc on an enemy.

I also registered that the archer was being pinned down by roots. The roots strapped him down tight to the earth, making it impossible for him to move even an inch. Although it was awesome, the power was taking too much out of me. I had to stop.

I managed to keep the song up enough to tie weak roots around the other enemies feet, until I finally stopped. I bent over in exhaustion.

"Grover," Piper said breathlessly when it ended. The two girls, a huge boy with a sword, and a boy with an eye-patch were bound to the floor by roots. "that was seriously awesome."

"Heck yeah it was!" Leo chimed in, excitedly jumping up and down. "Wish you did that sooner!"

"How did you do that Grover?" Jason asked in awe.

I shrugged. "I have no idea. It started off the same as any other song I've played, but then it changed into something... Bigger." I just had noticed how thick the roots actually were. The thickest one was almost three feet wide.

"We should get go-" I was cut off by a sharp cry. Piper, Leo, Jason and I turned sharply around.

"No, Reyna, DON'T!" Annabeth's desperate cry echoed over the summit.

It was like in the movies at the dramatic moment, when every thing slowed down. I was frozen with shock as Reyna, the coldest of our group and the least caring about this quest, shoved Percy swiftly towards Annabeth who was in a sitting position stunned, on the ground. Reyna then faced away from the rest of the summit, and caught the sky from where it had started to fall.

Reyna's face was contorted in pain, but she had a look of deep determination in her black eyes. "Go!" She spit through gritted teeth. "Get Percy out of h-here." Her voice wavered at the end, but she sucked in another breath and continued. "You're to valuable t-to both camps."

"Reyna!" Annabeth yelled as she tried to balance Percy's unconscious body. "Your the praetor of Camp Jupiter! You're needed just as much as I am!"

Reyna shook her head. "D-don't you remember your argument? Y-you're nothing w-without Percy." Reyna took a deep breath. "Percy wouldn't be a-anything without you."

Annabeth was silent, her mouth opening and closing, trying to form an argument.

Reyna smile slightly. "I've never felt that way about a-anyone." Her breath was coming in deep huffs. "Tell camp Jupiter... That I n-nominate Hazel and F-Frank for praetor."

"Reyna." Annabeth said.

"Go Annabeth." Reyna cut in.

Annabeth gazed at Reyna, before glancing down to the black-haired boy in her lap. She stood up shakily, Percy's arm slung over her shoulder. "We'll come back, Reyna. You won't have to hold this curse for long."

Reyna did nothing except nod, a small smile playing on her lips. "I'm not going anywhere."

Annabeth bit her lip, but turned away. She was halfway to us before any of us get out of our shock.

Piper rushed towards her, with Jason right behind her.

Jason quickly got under Percy's other arm, supporting his left side.

"Nico!" Annabeth yelled breathlessly. "Get us out of here!"

Nico suddenly came into existence next to Annabeth, Piper, Jason and Percy. He motioned frantically for Leo and I to come to them.

Leo and I obliged and sprinted towards them. As soon as we came in reach Nico held out his hand. We formed a circle swiftly, knowing the roots wouldn't last long.

Right before we were engulfed in shadows, I heard Piper's strong voice yell out. "Reyna, Habeamini!" _Have strength._

**Okay, that's it. More to come. Thanks for coming and I'm really sorry for not updating in about two weeks. Review if you like, favorite if you want, and all that jazz. Take it easy, U got 2 get down 2 get up**

**HEY ONE MORE IMPORTANT THING! My computer broke down, so I can not repost until I get it back. Very sorry, will post as soon as possible! I also have a poll up on my page/account thingy-ma-bob. You can check it out if you like. Thanks, and again, I'm really sorry!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey! I am so sorry for any of the people who was reading this! I swear, my computer broke down, and now I can't trust it anymore. Thankfully I've finally found an alternative and am now going to start up again. I am so sorry! Anyway, thanks for reading this, and I hope you will continue.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson Series, or any of the characters. All rights go to Rick Riordan**

**Annabeth's POV**

At first the world was black, a silent void in reality. I was scared, but I could feel Percy in my arms, and that's really the only thing I needed. That, and it helped that Nico was holding onto one of my arms, keeping me grounded.

Now I've only shadow traveled once or twice, but I had done it enough to know how terrible feeling it is. It feels like you're being stretched to your limits and is unbelievably cold.

I nervously gazed at Percy's unconscious face, not knowing what would happen if that happened to him in such a state. I could feel the slight tug, the warning of the horrible feeling about to come. Acting on instinct, I curled my own body around Percy, desperately trying to shield him from the sensations.

"Annabeth!" I could barely pick out Nico's concerned voice. It sounded like it was coming from underwater, muted and practically undistinguishable. "What are you doing? The feeling is bad enough for one person, don't try to take the pain for two!"

I shook my head, curling tighter around Percy's surprisingly light body. I held him to my chest as my head bowed. "Nico," my voice sounded muted, even to me. I could only hope that the son of Hades could understand me. "There's no way Percy can deal with the pain, not after holding the sky a minute ago. I can take it!"

"Annabeth, please! It'll knock you out cold!"

I let out a bitter laugh, already feeling the beginning effects of shadow traveling. "And it'll kill Percy. I'm not going to let that happen."

I squeezed my eyes shut, praying to the gods that I could protect Percy long enough to get back to camp before passing out.

"No, An-" Nico's voice was cut off by the excruciating pain.

I opened my mouth to scream, but couldn't get it out from round the pain. I couldn't even breath, as I doubled over refusing to let go of Percy. Tears started running down my face, but is barely registered them as I felt my consciousness slipping. _Just one more second, please._ I desperately thought. I opened my eyes, staring into Percy's sleeping face. He didn't seem to be in any extra pain. I smiled gently as I heard Nico shout we would be there in a second.

The jolt of the landing sent a shock through me. I caught one more glimpse of Percy before blacking out.

_Line Break~

Blurry images floated around me. Some were bright and happy, others were darker, scarier. I spun around in a circle. The images flashed by quickly, blurring together, finally merging into a single image.

I was sitting at the top of the Empire State Building. Not the Mt. Olympus that us demigods saw, but the regular mortal one. I was at the very tipping, one hand lazily attached to the steeple on top. The sound of the city surrounded me. Cars honking, people yelling, dogs barking. I could even hear the murmur of the thousands of people who crowded the streets.

I stared in awe at the stunning sight before. The New York City skyline was in my line of view. Skyscrapers and apartment buildings, business buildings and market buildings. All united into one breath-taking view.

"It won't be like this for much longer, my daughter." A silky, unfamiliar voice said next to me.

I whirled towards the right. Standing in front of me was Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and War. She had a white toga on under a set of battle armor. Her blond **(Some sources says it's black, so blond. I don't know and I'm just going by the color of Annabeth's hair. Sorry!)** hair was pulled into a braid trailing down her back.

I stared at her in shock for a moment before my sense kicked in. "Lady Athena." I breathed as I swept my self into a low bow. It was best not to anger the Goddess of War and Wisdom.

Her voice was slightly strained as she spoke. "My own daughter bowing down to me like I am about to smite her into oblivion." I kept my head low, not wanting to risk a sword in my gut even though I was awfully curious. _What does she mean by that? _She sighed, "Rise, Annabeth. I ask for respect, not terror in my children."

I straightened my posture. Looking at her curiously. "Lady Athena, I mean this with the utmost respect, but why have you come into my dream?"

Athena sighed wearily, running a hand over her braid. This action made me nervous, what could tire Athena so greatly? "Times are tough, Annabeth. Powerful beings have started to stir. Their auras' are becoming stronger by the day. I fear we don't have much time."

"Much time until what?" I asked anxiously. "What is going on? What 'powerful beings'?"

Athena grimaced. "I cannot say, it is forbidden by the Ancient Laws. However, I can tell you this." Her eyes seemed to start glowing with godly power. "You will need all of your friends to defeat the arising evils. _All_ of them."

I opened my mouth to say something, anything but the words stuck in my throat. All _of them? _I thought, dismayed._  
_

Athena's piercing grey gaze fell on the skyline. "Be careful, Annabeth. Although you will need all of the demigods for a main defense, there are ten half-bloods you cannot win without. You are one of them, but beware, some are not who you would expect. These ten will be the major offense of the war."

"Mother, what should I do?" I asked quietly, overwhelmed by the load of new information. My hands were shaking as I tried to process all of it.

She turned back to me, a fire in her eyes. "Make a plan, my daughter. Find the other nine. Visit the Oracle and receive a Prophecy. Play to the strengths of your team and protect the weaknesses." She smiled softly for the first time. "Be brave, Annabeth, but don't try to hold the whole quest on your own. You're not alone."

With that she began to glow. I covered my eyes and turned away, knowing what she was about to do. I felt a sudden explosion of power and the dream evaporated.

_Line Break~

I woke with a start. I bolted up right, nervously glancing around. Bland walls, a few lamps and a small balcony. _A hotel. _I thought. I glanced around seeing that I was alone, though the bed next to me looked like it was recently slept in. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and swung my legs over the side of the bed. I was in the same clothes I had been in during the fight on the summit, minus my shoes.

I could see a light under the door that presumably led to the bathroom. Obviously the person who had been sleeping in the other twin bed was in there. I stood up carefully, well aware of how weak I was during the shadow travel. I was not fond of the idea of falling over on my first step. Thankfully I didn't and was able to make it to the bathroom.

I knocked softly on the door. "Hey, it's Annabeth." I trailed off not really know what to say.

"Oh, Annabeth!" The musical voice of Piper was heard through the door. She quickly opened the door. Her hair was wet, falling loosely around her shoulders, and she was in her pajama's. She held a toothbrush in one hand and a tube of tooth paste in the other. "Hey, you're awake!"

I nodded and grinned. "Power Rangers?" I asked, smirking slightly.

She looked down and blushed. "Shut up! They're Cherokee Eagles!"

I nodded my head sarcastically. "If you say so, Pipes."

She growled, though I could hear the amused tone under it. "Well if your not too busy making fun of my pajamas, there are clothes in the drawers that I think fit you and I just finished showering." She went over to the sink and began brushing her teeth.

I laughed. "Sorry, Piper."

She dismissively waved her hand in my direction.

I took that as forgiveness and walked slowly back into the room. The clothes did fit me, and I quickly picked out an outfit. It was the regular jeans and a T-shirt. I walked back in just in time for Piper to walk out, grumbling about Cherokee eagles and Power Rangers. I sent her an apologetic look, but she just waved it off.

"Just take a shower, Annie." She dramatically sighed as she started rummaging through the drawers. "Oh and be quick about it, I want to get some food."

_Line Break~

"Where are the others?" I asked Piper as we headed down into the lobby of the hotel we were staying at.

"Staying in different rooms. Frank was almost fully recovered by the time Nico dumped us on the floor of their room. Good thing to, because he was sent almost immediately to get First-Aid supplies for everyone. Everyone was still conscious except for you and Percy." She smirked at me from the side. "Quite cute, you two. Took a lot of willpower to tear you two apart when you guys curled up together."

I flushed. "Shut up, I was a sleep! Plus, you and Jason are probably worse then we were, and you guys are awake for most of the cuddling."

Piper only smirked. "Technically you were unconscious, not a sleep. And that means that your unconscious likes Percy more than your conscious state is willing to admit." I stared at her, slightly shocked. I knew Piper wasn't dumb, far from it, but I had never thought she would be able to think so... complicatedly. "What? Just because I'm a daughter of Aphrodite doesn't mean I'm dumb." Her smirk grew slightly.

"I never said you were." I tried to counter, but I was still a little shocked. Obviously she was more than she appeared. _Maybe she could be one of the ten..._ "You still haven't answered my question though. Where are the others?"

"Oh right. Well Jason was sharing a room with Leo, while Hazel was sharing a room with Frank. Percy is with them since we thought that it would be easier to wake up to them instead of someone more... energetic. Thalia and Nico shared a room as well, although neither was to thrilled about it. And then Rey-" Piper cut herself off.

I winced, _Reyna. _Stuck holding the sky for the rest of us. An overwhelming amount of guilt crashed down on me. _How could I let Reyna just do that? I was right there, I could've stopped her! Now she's holding the sky! What's wrong with me? What kind of a person am I? I'm not a hero! I'm just... just nothing.. _My thoughts were rising to near hysteria. I could feel my breath coming in and out rapidly.

"Annabeth!" Piper's sharp voice snapped me out of my panicky-guilt-daze. "It's not your fault, do you here me?"

I stared at her dumbly. "But.. but it is... I-"

"You had to get Percy out of there. That was our mission, our purpose. We knew that one of us would have to stay behind. It just turned out to be someone we didn't consider." Piper's voice was firm, yet gentle at the same time.

I persisted stubbornly. "But if I had just been stronger-"

"You were just in a battle against two highly skilled swordsman. You were already weakened, there was no way you'd be able to hold the Sky in that state."

I pressed my lips into a thin line, not stepping down but not pursuing.

"Good, now let's go meet up with the others. They should be in the lobby by now. We'll get some food then figure out what we should do."

That broke me out of my stubborn haze. "Is Percy going to be with them?" I asked quietly, my guilt not gone but pushed a side temporarily.

Piper smiled. "You'll have to see."

_Line Break~

**Thalia's POV**

I stood in the lobby, impatiently tapping my foot. _How long does it take to get dressed? _I thought as my stomach rumbled again.

"Easy, Thals, or you might tap a hole in the middle of the floor." I narrowed my eyes as I turned around to face Nico. He and I had been forced to share a room together. I couldn't think of anything more annoying than sharing a room with my cousin, but Piper forced us to. Stupid charm-speaking..._  
_

I glared at him. "Bug off, goth." I nearly growled. We had been getting on each other's nerves ever since last night and it was getting pretty harsh. Normally I would've never called Nico goth, he hated it. But I was tired and hungry and impatient, my thoughts weren't really with me.

Nico's glare transformed from teasing to dark in a second. "Don't call me that, Grace."

My eyes widened, _Grace._ Rage boiled up in me, thoughts of a stupid, drunken woman whirling around in my head. Thoughts of Jason being abandoned at Wilderness School. _Grace_.

I snarled, stalking towards Nico. I expected him to back down, but instead he stood his ground, never breaking eye contact.

"Guys, stop!" Nico and I turned towards the voice sharply, ready to tear whosever head was standing in front of us. However, instead of attacking, we stopped dead.

Our cousin stood, slightly slumped in posture, but standing nevertheless. His eyes were slightly glazed over as he sighed wearily. I winced, I didn't like that sound. It sound a thousand years old when it should've only sounded 15 years old.

"Just drop it, will you guys?" He asked in an exasperated tone. "We're all tired, hungry and irritable. We don't need you two ripping out each other's throats along with that."

Normally I would've snapped at him, and I almost did. But then I stopped, and thought about it. Percy just got back from holding the sky, only to find that one of his friends took his place. He still had everything back home to figure out along with whatever happened to him up on Mt. Tam. He didn't need anything extra to worry about and that was including his two cousins.

"Sorry, Perce." I sighed, slumping a little as I said that. "I'm just, I don't know... I'm just stressed."

Nico nodded along with me. "Yeah, sorry."

Percy shrugged. "We're all tired, but the first thing to do is to get some food."

I felt a rush of respect wash over me as I watched Percy straighten his slouched posture and set his stance to a more relaxed one. He really was a true leader, not one of those fakers who only want glory. He was true and real, there when you needed someone whether it was for a battle against someone else, or yourself.

Percy wasn't just a leader, though. He was kind as well, a trait some leaders lacked. There to protect and to talk to, there when the days were dark and the sun was blocked.

He'd been through so much, including holding the sky which wasn't more than 42 hours ago, yet here he was again, breaking up a fight. A leader, and yet still a brother.

The rest of the gang nodded an undercurrent of respect trickling through each demigod, and we stood in silence.

_Line Break~

_Thank the gods!_ I wearily thought as I finally heard Piper's musical voice. I turned expectantly to the hall way where her voice was drifting from, it was about time.

Annabeth and Piper turned the corner, and everything seemed to slow down. Annabeth froze, starring at Percy, emotions racing through her eyes. Percy had frozen as well, though a small smile was creeping onto his face. His eyes shone with an emotion mirroring Annabeth's.

Before any of us could react Annabeth was darting towards Percy. Percy lunged to meet her. They crashed into each other in the middle of the lobby in what looked like a bone crushing hug. I wasn't entirely sure, but I think I saw tears trickle down Annabeth's face.

**Annabeth's POV**

I couldn't help but let a few tears slide as I hugged Percy. He was there, awake and well (enough for now). I felt like laughing and crying at the same time, and I supposed I did both.

"Percy." I mumbled into Percy's neck.

"Annabeth." Percy breathed in return. "You're-"

I cut him off by stepping away quickly and slapping him, lightly, but still a slap. "Don't you ever dare to put yourself into that position again, Percy Jackson!"

My thoughts caught up with my actions a second later and I slapped my hands over my mouth. Had I really just slapped Percy? What was wrong with me? Why would I do that when I knew what he had been through? Especially the abuse?

"Percy, oh my go-"

This time I was cut off as Percy's laughter filled the air. I could see the mortal girls turning and drooling over Percy, but I pushed that thought aside for later. I had to focus on what was going on with Percy and if he had lost his mind or not.

"Percy?" I asked, confused and a little irritated.

He grinned at me as he settled down. "The look on your face! You looked like you were caught stealing something! Oh gods, that was priceless." He wiped moisture from his eyes.

"But... But I just slapped you." I stated dumbly.

"Yes, yes you did." He confirmed, a grin tugging at his lips.

"And... And you're not mad...?" I asked.

He full out grinned at me. "Course I'm not mad at you, Wise Girl. In a weird way, you just told me you cared."

I stared at him for a few seconds before shaking my head slowly. "You are one weird person, Seaweed Brain. I really do wonder what goes on up there, sometimes." I said as I gently tapped the side of his temple. "But it's true. In a way, I guess I was telling you that I cared." I blushed as I said this, knowing that Percy would know just how deep that care went.

He caught my hand and pressed it against his lips. I reddened even further, though I did enjoy the sensation of his soft lips under my fingers. "Well guess what, Wise Girl?"

"What?" I asked, desperately trying not to let the thrum of energy coursing through my body get into my voice.

"I care about you, too."

He then leaned forward very slowly, giving me time to back away. I rolled my eyes,_ Naïve Seaweed Brain. Why couldn't he guess that I wanted to kiss him since the day I first met him? Boys..._ Never the less, I let him proceed with his slow progress. If you got through the dumbness of how unsure he was, the gesture really was quite sweet.

When he was about an inch from me I couldn't take it anymore. I leaned in and met him halfway. Our lips touched and a throng of electric energy coursed through me. I could sense everything and everyone in the small hotel lobby. I could hear the traffic outside as the busy California day passed by, I could even catch the disappointed sigh of girls as they saw Percy kiss me. Yet, at the same time I could only focus on Percy. His soft, salty lips, his silky hair as I laced my fingers through it. His gentle hands as they ran through my hair as well. I could feel a tingle run up and down my spine, a warm pleasant feeling. Almost like coming home after a long vacation. _Yes,_ I thought._ Percy Is exactly like coming home._

Percy and I pulled away, our breathing uneven and unsteady. I felt light-headed and a little wobbly. I loved it. Percy himself looked unbelievably happy. His face alight and his gaze a burning fire.

"Well, that was nice." He said after a moments silence.

I laughed at him. "Just nice, Seaweed Brain?"

He grinned widely at me. "Incredible, amazing, pure, lovely, wonderful?"

I tapped my forefinger on my chin. "I personally thought innocent and simple would do, but I'm not going to object to any of yours."

He chuckled, "Yeah okay, Wise Girl. You know, I don't really like kissing random people."

I raised my eyebrow. "Oh? So does that make me a random person?"

"Nope, you were a friend before."

"What do you mean 'were'?" I asked suspiciously.

His grin turned into a soft smile. "Were, as in, not anymore."

"If I'm not a friend and not a random person, then who am I?"

"Hopefully my girlfriend."

I stared at him, trying to suppress the huge smile growing on my face. Just as he began to get nervous I finally broke. "Okay, I guess that would be acceptable." I snickered at the relieved expression on Percy's handsome face. "Only on one condition though."

"And what is that?" Percy asked, his interest peaked.

"You have to bring me to the beach for our first date."

He laughed and nodded his head. "Of course, I was sired by Poseidon, you know."

"I know, but I'd like to know more." I responded carefully.

A twinkle sparked in his eye, one that I hadn't ever seen before. "As do I."

**Okay.. So yeah, a long time from last update. Again, my computer brome down and all that stuff. I'm sorry that this chapter is short and has little substance in it, but I needed to tell you guys that Many a Slip Between the Cup and the Lip is back on. I have a poll up on my profile, if you want to check it out. It's about the next fanfic. Anyway, I'm so sorry for the wait and I really hope it doesn't happen again. Thank you for being patient and reading, but the story is back. Hope this doesn't effect things too much. Read, review, favorite, follow if you want, but I really don't blame you if you don't. Take it easy, U got 2 get down 2 get up**


	15. I need Help!

**Hello! So I'm so glad that some people have actually kept on reading after my major computer malfunction. Again, I apologize for that. Anyway, let's get this show on the road! Maxremyfanfiction, I love it, too! That's why I write it, thanks for reading! TheDarkKnight1991, I did? Oh, hehe, whoops. Thanks for the heads up, I'll be careful next time. Thank you, that really means a lot to mean. Kate, Haha, I'm really happy you like this fanfic so much! I'll try to keep my computer breakdowns to a minimum, but honestly, I kinda suck with technology. I actually got Blood of Olympus yesterday, and it is great!(Though no Percy POV which just isn't right) I don't know what to do! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing on pretty much all my chapters! I look forward to hearing from you every time I post a chapter, and your encouragement really helps! Thank you to all of my readers!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson series of any of it's characters. All rights belong to Rick Riordan**

**Piper's POV**** (I thought I might switch it up a little)**

My creamy avocado wrap came looking delightful. Seriously, I almost started jumping up and down, but I settled on chowing down instead.

We were seated in an open cafe near a peaceful road. It was a tiny shop, but was obviously a local favorite because it was packed with tan Californians. I do have to admit, most of the guys I saw here were pretty hot. Surfer body (or gym body, I don't really know) sun-bleached hair, warm tan skin and around 6"1. None of them, however, compared to Jason. He was wearing a regular purple T-shirt, unlike the surfer guys who wore tight shirts to show off their muscle. His hair was in it's usual military style, free of gel or whatever guys use in their hair. His electric blue eyes, they seemed endless. His natural tan skin. Oh and his lips...

I sighed, _Aphrodite is getting to me. _Before I could go into an inner rant about Aphrodite, my stomach reminded me that I had more important issues. I snapped up another bite, relishing the creamy texture and the splash of flavor from the hummus.

The others seemed to be enjoying their food just as much as I was. Jason was gulping down a chicken sandwich while Leo sat on his other sighed starting on his fifth taco. On Leo's right Hazel sat with a shrimp gumbo. (Don't ask how or why she got shrimp gumbo at a small Californian cafe, but she did) While on Hazel's right was Frank, eating chicken nuggets.

It made me smile, how much of a kid Frank could be. He was a leader, sharp and resourceful, but at the same time a kid who missed his mother and grandmother. Leo was usually the one looked on as a kid, with his haywire brain and immeasurable amount of energy, but we were all kids at some point.

Moving on, to Frank's right sat Percy. It was so good to see him again, walking around, talking even laughing. He was devouring his cheeseburger like there was no tomorrow. However, every now and then, I caught him sneak a peak at Annabeth.

Annabeth and Percy. Percy and Annabeth. It worked, and it was about time too! The gang had watched as Percy and Annabeth had slowly transformed from polite acquaintances to comfortable friends to best friends and finally crushes.

Percy, however, wasn't the only one trying to secretly stare at a person. Annabeth looked over at Percy just as much as he did to her. She would take a bite out of her salad then her eyes would dart over to Percy then back again. It was almost comical to watch.

I sighed, conflicting emotions swirling in my head. That was how it should've been, anyway. Yet there was a dark atmosphere surrounding our cafe table. Something the others wouldn't notice, but since I was more attuned to emotions, I could feel the apprehension, fear, anxiousness and crushing guilt at the back of everyones mind.

Especially Percy and Annabeth's. Percy's raging guilt was practically tangible. I couldn't help but wince every time he actually focused on his guilt, it hurt, and I was only getting a portion of his pain. Then there was Annabeth. Although she hid her guilt better, it was pounding at the back of her mind, I could feel it.

**Hey, so that was a little beginning. I've been trying to find a way to go on and finally end this fanfic, please help. Any ideas, sad, happy, let me know Should I leave Reyna under the sky or should I somehow miraculously get her out? What should I do about Percy's mother? I have really bit off more than I can chew with this fanfiction. I have been trying to figure out where this should go from here. Anyway, I still love this website, but I need help. I'm not asking for anyone to adopt it, just send me ideas, if you don't mind. I'd love to hear them! I'm so sorry for the wait to only be a small bit, really. I'm not abandoning this fanfic! U got 2 get down 2 get up**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey guys, I'm back. TheDarkKnight1991, thank you for your suggestion. I will definitely try to put in some jealousy for Annabeth. That's always exciting. Dawnwizard8010, Thank you! I will try to put in as much of Percy's mom as I can, but she is definitely one of the more complicated characters in the particular fanfic. Beeimahalfblood, thanks for the suggestion! I'm so glad you still read this fanfic! I'm definitely thinking about putting Octavin there... Kate, thank you so much, you really helped me out here. Im so thankful that you guys gave me such great ideas and I will definitely use most if not all of them. (I will make sure to give credit) ****I'm so** **glad ****you guys still read my chapters, it's an amazing feeling!**

**I have just realized that not even I can keep straight the characters on the quest right now, so here's the list of characters. For you and me.**

** Original Quest Members**

**(1)Annabeth (2)Grover (3)Frank (4)Hazel (5)Nico (6)Thalia (7)Piper(8) Jason (9)Reyna**

** Luke's Followers**

**(1)Luke Castellan (2)Ethan Nakamura (3)Silena Beauregard (4)Lee Fletcher (5)Chris Rodriguez (6) Drew Tanaka (7) Mark Sherman (8) Travis Stoll (9) Jake Mason**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson series, all rights belong to Rick Riordan**

**Percy's POV**

Normally food is the cure to everything. You're upset because your significant other had left you, eat some ice cream. You're happy because of summer break, celebrate with frozen yogurt. You're hungry? Eat. It's most of the world's most common and reliable method of mental breakdowns. Unfortunately being a demigod, I don't really count as "most of the world" more like "the unlucky 15% that gets chased around by monsters".

I sighed under my breath as I stared at my Coke. I couldn't get passed the guilt clouding my mind. It was just a haze of black, surrounding my thoughts and pulling me down. _Reyna is underneath the sky because of you, Jackson!_ My conscious screamed at me. _This is how you treat your friends that rescued you? _I couldn't bear it. It hurt worse then the sky's weight itself.

"Hey, um I have to use the bathroom, be back in a few." I announced quietly but firmly as I stood up. Annabeth's intelligent, grey gaze fell on me and I could feel it piercing straight through my carefully constructed mask of nonchalance.

"You okay, Perce?" Frank asked, his chicken fingers momentarily forgotten.

_No. _"Yeah." I forced a smile. _Just being crushed alive by guilt. _"Just a bit tired."

I could tell no one was fooled by my little act of bravado, but no one called me out on it either. I turned away from the table, heading into the building, towards the back where I could see a sign for the men's and women's room. At the last second I turned away from the bathrooms, instead heading towards the back exit.

I came out at a surprisingly clean alleyway. Leaning against one of the clean brick walls, I closed my eyes, resting the back of my head on the door. _My mom, Reyna, the sky, Gabe. _All of my problems flittered in and out of my focus, constantly tormenting me. Crushing guilt, fiery rage, deep sadness, all of these emotions drowned my thoughts in despair. _What am I supposed to do? How can I make this right? _I grimaced and ran my hands through my hair in frustration.

My self-hate session was interrupted by the sound of the door swinging open. I snapped my eyes open, expecting to see the grey eyes of Annabeth or maybe even the concerned gaze of one of Nico or Thalia, but instead I was met by the electric gaze of Jason Grace.

My eyebrows shot up. Jason and I had never been the closest two. Not that we weren't friends by any means, but we both were a bit competitive with each other, always trying to see who was better. It was a bit surprising to see him come after me.

"Jason." I stated, casually shifting positions so I was more leaning against the wall for a pose, rather than support. "What brings you here? Piper or Annabeth send you to check on me?"

Jason shook his blond head and mirrored my pose, nonchalantly blocking the door, as if he was afraid I might've made a break for it. "No, I decided to come check on you myself."

I could feel my right eyebrow raise just slightly above the other. "Really? May I ask why?" It was pretty obvious, but it didn't feel like dealing with my emotions or the fact that everyone knew I had guilt pressing down on my like an elephant.

Jason sighed. "Look dude, I mean I am all Roman and stuff, so I do appreciate the whole "tough guy" act, but even the best leaders need a break sometimes. We all know you feel bad about leaving Reyna under the sky," I noticed the slight wince Jason had as he said Reyna's name. "But you were unconscious. You couldn't have done anything, no one could've. It was just what the Fates decided." He had a slight crack at the end, but other than that his voice was calm, like a good leader's should be.

I stared at him. "Nothing I could've done?" I whispered.

Jason nodded firmly.

I shook my head. "Jason...man, I could've stopped the whole thing. If I wasn't dumb enough to take on Nat Klue-"

"Percy, stop." Jason held up his hand. For once I actually listened to him, and halted mid sentence. "It was the right thing to do." He looked like he was about to go on, before he stopped with a puzzled expression on his face. "Did you say 'Nat Klue'?"

"Yeah..." I nodded, slightly weirded out about his change of demeanor. "I did. That's the blond guy's name right?"

"Oh right, you weren't here when... Of course he wasn't here." Jason mumbled as he ran his hand over his face.

"Yo, Jason? You okay? You're kinda rambling." I asked, leaning towards him slightly, ready to catch him if he fell.

"Yeah, yeah, fine." Jason sighed as he pushed off the wall. "It's just that I forgot you weren't here with us for half if the quest."

"Quest?" I echoed as I too pushed off the wall. "Wait, you guys got a prophecy from the oracle?"

Jason nodded. "Yeah, we got a lot to talk about. And I'm guessing you have your own story as well."

I nodded. "You could say that."

_Line Break~

I couldn't help but smile at the situation we were in. There we were, teenage demigods, used to fighting for our lives everyday and saving the world, only to be found sitting around in a some-what-circle, about to tell stories like kids around a campfire. I loved it.

"Okay, now who goes first?" Hazel asked from where she was seated on a desk chair.

"I think we should go first." Thalia spoke out from her spot on the floor. She and Nico were leaning against the bed while Leo sat on it, tinkering away.

We turned our attention to the punk-styled girl as her voice rang out.

"I mean, if I heard correctly, Jason told us Percy didn't know about Nat Klue using a code name. It would make more sense in the end."

"Well then, now that that's that, who wants to go first?" Frank asked. He was perched on a recliner to my left while Annabeth sat on my right, cross-legged.

"Thalia raises a good point." I stated as I looked around. "I obviously missed a lot and my story will make a lot more sense if I know the whole thing. Plus half of mine was stuck in a little cage." I admitted. I looked around, taking in the shocked and angered faces of my friends. "What?"

"They stuck you in a cage?" Thalia whispered.

"Like animal cruelty." Grover mumbled as he clenched his teeth from the couch next to the bed.

"Well did you expect them to let me walk around?" I asked.

Nico clenched his fists. "But it's so..."

I sighed. "Look guys, it's over and done with. We need to focus now on what we should do and learning about every aspect of this quest that we can."

After a few minutes everyone grudgingly agreed, though Annabeth still had quite a fire in her eyes.

"Fine then. Let's get this over with." Annabeth said. "Okay, so it started off with you getting kidnapped by 'Nat Klue',as you know him."

"We found out about that the next day, when we received a voice message from your phone. It was Nat and a few of his cronies talking. They apparently didn't know it was on." Frank added.

"Then we figured we better go save your butt," Leo smiled, briefly glancing up from his little machine. "After a few failed attempts at plans, we decided to leave for Camp Half Blood."

"We got a prophecy to save you." Hazel added.

_There shall be three groups for this quest,_

_None will be better than the rest._

_One shall be lead by the daughter of the sky,_

_her group will be girls, not one guy._

_The second group will be lead by the daughter of intelligence,_

_her group won't have easy balance._

_The third group shall be lead by the daughter of war,_

_her group will learn about the enemies to the core._

_Out of the friends, there will be only one,_

_who has a chance at saving Poseidon's son._

Hazel finished the future-telling-poem, her words filling up the silence.

I shivered at the ominous tone. But it was over...right?

We all sat in silence until Thalia picked up the story again. "So after the prophecy we split up. Personally, this is where I had the least amount of excitement, so I'll let Grover take it from here."

Grover nodded to Thalia. "Thanks. Anyway, so Thalia's group consisting of Piper and Hazel, went ahead by car. Then Annabeth's team of Frank, Leo and Nico, headed out a day after by train. That left our group, Jason, Reyna," Everyone winced at Reyna's name. I could barely fight the wave of guilt from crashing down on me, but somehow I was able to stay semi-composed.

Apparently not composed enough though, because a few seconds later I felt long delicate fingers interlock with mine. Looking up, I saw Annabeth's empathetic gaze on me as she squeezed my hand in silent encouragement.

Grover coughed and continued awkwardly. "and I at camp. We "learned about the enemies to their core" like the prophecy said. We learned their real names."

I looked up from where my gaze had rested on the floor in front of me. This was where it was gonna get really interesting for me anyway.

"Go on." My voice cracked slightly at the end, but it stayed mostly pretty strong.

_Line Break~

**Annabeth's** POV

I carefully watched Percy's expressions as we explained the whole ordeal that took place while he was holding the Sky. He was good at hiding his emotions, the turmoil I could see below the surface was well concealed. Yet every once in a while I caught sight of his mental shield cracking, that's when I would squeeze his hand. He needed the support.

"And then we all sprung out from our hiding place and I guess the battle began." Piper summed up.

We all carefully gaged Percy's emotions. He seemed to be in shock.

"You okay, Perce?" Nico asked.

Percy swallowed and nodded. "Yeah, yeah I'm find Nico. Just a lot to process." After a minute or two he let out a deep breath. "S'pose it's my turn now, huh?"

"Yes, Seaweed Brain. It is." I said firmly. "And I want to hear all of it. _All _of it." I needed to know what he was put through,

He chuckled. "Okay, okay. It's not like I was going to withhold any information anyway. My trip was pretty boring, actually. I was stuck in a box for about two days, then I held the Sky for who knows how long." It sounded true enough, but it knew there was something else. I just had a feeling.

"Oh, and that was it?" I asked suspiciously.

"Yeah." He replied, slightly defensive.

"There was nothing else. Nothing at all?" I questioned further.

His eyes held a defiant glint, but at the same time I could see a wisp of guilt dancing just underneath it in his swirling green orbs. I glared at him, hoping that it would melt some of the defiance enough for the guilt to show more prominently. My plan worked and now it was much more clear to everyone he was hiding something.

"Percy." Thalia said, a warning in her voice. "If you're not telling us something because you think we'll be mad, tell us now because we're just gonna get angrier the longer you wait."

"It's nothing, Thals." He tried. "Just a little surprise they had that I didn't expect."

"What was the surprise?" She asked, deadly calm.

He sighed. "I told you it was nothing."

"If it's nothing then there should be no problem in you telling us what the 'surprise' was." Nico's voice was quiet. The calm before a storm. I could feel the waves of anger rolling off two of the three Big Three children. The other child was sending off waves of apprehension.

"And there should be no reason for you wanting to know." Percy countered, attempting to stand From his place on my left.

However, I held his hand in a death grip. "I'm a daughter of Athena, I want to know everything." I stated, not letting go of Percy's hand.

"Annabeth, guys, please. It doesn't matter and I will resolve it on my own after everything."

Piper spoke up then, her charm-speak turning everyone rock-still. "Stop. We don't need another fight, not when we're still recovering from our previous one." We all relaxed a bit, our minds clearing. "Look, Percy, we need you to tell us. We can help you resolve it and it will be much easier for everyone to know what is bothering you."

I watched as Percy fought a battle that he would eventually lose. Normally getting what I want would make me happy, not this time though. The victory was a cold one as I had to watch Percy squirm and struggle as he was frozen in his place.

"P-Piper. It doesn't matter." He gasped out. All the demigods (and one satyr) watched sadly as he fought Piper's will.

"Yes it does, Percy. You know it does. Tell us, we will help." Piper's power washed over us all. I felt the need to spill every secret I had and just talk it out. If Piper's power was that powerful indirectly I didn't even want to try to reject her requests when it was focused on me.

Apparently Percy's will couldn't stand against a second attack of Piper's charm-speak and he slouched against me, his strength drained from resisting. Everyone else relaxed fully as well as Piper let the grip she had on us go.

"The 'surprise'?" Jason asked quietly.

"No one can force anyone to take the sky. It has to be of the choosers own free will." Percy sighed. I nodded and squeezed his hand as encouragement. "The way Luke got me to take the sky was because he had somehow taken the person I loved for all of my life and forced them to take the sky."

I felt the slightest pang of jealousy, but I knew how petty that was. It wasn't some girlfriend, he wouldn't have spoken so highly of her if she was. No, this person was much more special to him then an average fling.

"Who?" I asked gently.

Percy's glazed over eyes met mine for an immeasurable moment. He had the pain like he always did when I first met him, but there was something different about it this time. There was something lighter, more determined and braver. Something better.

"My mom."

_Line Break~

**Frank's POV**

"Your mom?" Annabeth asked in shock.

We all were in shock in fact. Thalia and Nico had identical masks of disbelief on their faces as they sat next to each other. Jason'a eyes were the size of softballs as he sat frozen. Piper's mouth was hanging open while Leo's always-active fingers stilled. Hazel's hand was over her mouth, her dark brown hair falling in waves around her.

Although it really wasn't the time, I couldn't help but marvel over Hazel's beauty. Piper was outright gorgeous with lushest brown hair and ever-changing eyes. Annabeth's blond hair and grey eyes gave an intimidating aura to her, giving her an elegant grace that most girls in this age lack. Thalia's electric blue eyes and pitch black hair allowed a punk-like alluring aura to her while Reyna used to have the appealing air of power.

But Hazel had something different. Her warm chocolate skin tone was rich and flawless while her cinnamon curls shone in the light. Her caring, deep, brown eyes that always seemed to withhold judgement, could melt my concentration on the spot. She was just beautiful.

"Yeah." Percy's voice broke me out of my trance.

Jason cleared his throat. "But I thought your mom was..."

"So did I." Percy's quiet response echoed in the hotel room.

"But, how did he do it? He would need to somehow get into the Underworld and get out along with a soul that must've been in Elysium. How could he have done that without Hades crushing him into a million pieces?" Thalia wondered as he leaned back against the bed.

"I don't know how he did it, but I swear it was her. He somehow must've been able to turn her back into a mortal being too, because she was holding the sky. That's how Luke got me to hold the Sky."

Annabeth was deep in thought. Every now and then she would glance up at Nico, like she was working on a math problem that she couldn't remember every number to. Nico himself also appeared to be lost in thought.

"There is a way, actually." Nico finally spoke up. He had our immediate attention.

"What?" Piper asked.

"A soul for a soul. A soul that has cheated Death can be swapped for a regular soul in the Underworld." He explained.

"Who has cheated Death that Luke would be willing to give up in exchange for Percy's mom?" I asked.

"Good question." Annabeth commented. "We don't know the numbers of Luke's army's he could have any number of souls that he could swap with."

"Does it matter?" Hazel spoke up. She had been so quiet everyone almost forgot she was their, not counting me. "I mean, Luke swapped the soul. It's in the past. Now we need to figure out what to do. We need to figure out this whole ordeal with Mrs. Jackson as well as what to do about Luke and his cronies."

"I need to find her." Percy's firm voice rang out, as he sat up straighter. "She's my mother, and right now we can at least assume that she is mortal again fairly. I need to get to her."

"And we will." Annabeth soothed. "But let's figure out our game plan, then we can find your mom all the more faster."

"Oh, and I hate to address the elephant in the room but," We all turned towards Leo as he spoke. "what are we going to do about Reyna?"

We went silent. No one wanted to make any rash decisions about rescuing her, but at the same time no one was about to leave her.

"Atlas was the original bearer of the sky." Annabeth started out, testing the waters. "What if we somehow got him to hold it again?"

"And how are we supposed to do that, Annie?" Thalia snorted. "I doubt he's gonna jump at the chance to hold the thousand-ton block again."

"What about one of the Hesperides?" Piper ventured. "What if we could trick them into taking the sky?"

"Their not dumb, Pipes." Leo countered. "They've been around their for what? 2 million years? They're not gonna fall for some dinky, come-and-get-me trick."

"Fine, then what do you think we should do?" asked Piper, annoyed.

"I don't know, but I know we shouldn't try that." Leo snapped back, clearly just as irritated with the subject as we all were.

"Guys stop it." All heads turned to Annabeth. "Look, I had a dream. Athena was there with me. She told me that ancient being were stirring, and that although we need both Camp Jupiter and Camp Half Blood to stop them, we couldn't win without ten specific demigods. Apparently I'm one of them.**(I am kinda hoping to blow that war over. I feel like this story is dragging out too much anyway. Would you like me to do the war or just have it magically blow over?) **I think Reyna's one of the ten." Annabeth's voice was steady and calm through out the entire thing.

It took us a minute to process all of it, but in the end we accepted it. It wasn't the first time us demigods were tasked with saving the world. The only two things that stayed in imply mind from that was the fact that Camp Half Blood and Camp Jupiter had to unite. That and the fact that only ten demigods were essential to winning. Who were they?

"So that settles the matter then." Jason concluded. "We need to get Reyna Avilla Ramírez-Arellano out from under the sky. Does anyone have any ideas?"

Annabeth looked up with a glint in her eyes. "Children of Athena always have ideas."

**Unfortunately I am not a child of Athena, and I would love any ideas for a rescue plan. Also, does anyone have any preferences on the huge war? Do you want it or do you think it will drag out too much? I'm very neutral, so I'd love some help. Okay, I'm sorry about the random updates and I'll try to update soon. Review if you like. Thank you so much! Take it easy, U got 2 get down 2 get up**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello. Thank you to everyone who still has the patience to read this. TheDarkKnight1991, Thank you so much! I will definitely try to be much more careful with my grammar from now on, thank you for telling! Also thank you for your suggestions, they helped and I now believe I know what I want to do. Dawnwizard8010, Thanks, I'm glad you like the fanfic! As for the suggestions, I appreciate the effort, my brains kinda foggy too. Kate, Thank you! I'm really happy you like my writing, it really helps having encouragement. The suggestions are really something, thank you for so many ideas! I will definitely put a lot of them in, if that's alright. **

**Thank you guys for giving me a hand with this, and thanks to everyone who followed, favorited and all that jazz. I'm trying to wrap this up, but I can't really see that nicely coming together for another few chapters, so I guess I'll still be here for a while.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or any of the characters, all rights go to Rick Riordan**

**Annabeth's POV**

I could feel the adrenaline coursing through me as I worked out any quirks in my plan that I was forming. It had to be perfect, there was no room for an imperfection. That is, no room for an _unplanned_ imperfection. I had to rely on the separate personalities and thoughts of our opponents for my plan to work.

"Annabeth, what you're purposing could completely back fire." Nico stated, his words slashing through the tension.

I tore my eyes from where they had rested on Percy and my intertwined hands. I glanced up at him. "I understand that. But it's the only thing I could think of. Think about it, if we just use a frontal attack like last time, it's just going to end just as badly."

"But we'll be there this time." Hazel's statement was strong and sure. She and Frank shared a loving look before her gaze settled back on me. "We're not going to sit out another fight. Don't forget that last time you were out numbered, but this time you'll have two more."

I nodded in consent. "True, but we're also trying to achieve a different goal. This time we don't have a choice to leave someone behind, which is why my plan should work."

"Your plan, Annie," Thalia observed, "is smart, but risky. We can't expect anything but the unexpected from Luke and his gang. What if they aren't as prideful as you think they are?"

"Or as stupid?" Nico grunted.

"Or as determined?" Piper cautiously added.

"Or as strong?" Leo chimed in. Soon enough everyone was picking apart my plan, showing every possible flaw. Now I could take criticism, I even wanted it. Yet hearing my plan slowly being picked away with no ability to save it, I wasn't used to that. It was true that that particular plan of mine wasn't the best. Heck, it was made up in about five minutes without any facts to back it up, but it was the only one I could think of.

I squeezed my eyes shut, raising my hands to rub my temples.I tried to block out my friends until I could think clearly. So much was going on in my head, I couldn't focus. There was a roaring in my head, everything was muted to a buzz of voices.

Suddenly I heard a strong, clear voice slice through the buzz in my head. "Enough!"

Startled, everyone halted their massacre of my plan. All eyes were set on the heavily-breathing boy next to me. Percy gripped my hand tightly as he gazed around the room at the shocked faces. Personally, I was just as shocked. I had never heard Percy yell or even raise his voice very much and it was startling that he would now.

"Enough." he restated quietly. He sighed. "Look, guys. I know the plan isn't perfect, but it's all we got right now. Let Annabeth defend her plan before you slaughter the idea. We need to work together right now, and picking her plan apart isn't going to help anyone."

I sent a grateful smile to Percy. _My_ Percy. "Thank you." I mouthed to him.

He caught the gesture and smiled warmly in return. He made a small, almost unnoticeable gesture with his right hand, indicating that I should defend my plan now.

I nodded slightly and turned to face the group. Somehow we had transformed from an even circle to groups. Frank had, at some point, had clambered out of the recliner and was now at the feet of Hazel. He sat cross-legged, his head leaning back slightly onto Hazel's legs while Hazel ran her hand lovingly through Franks shiny black hair.

Thalia and Nico we're leaning on each other slightly in a sibling-like manner.

Jason had deserted his seat on a random chair in the room, instead choosing a spot right next to Piper, who sat leaning on a wall. He had his arm slung across her shoulders, a casual, yet protective gesture as he held her close to his side. Piper had her head resting on his shoulder, her eyes closed in thought.

Leo and Grover were sitting on the couch together, Leo having loved sometime during the conversation. They were quietly sitting, Grover's calm balancing out Leo's ADHD. They sat in companionable silence, peaceful aura surrounding them.

I leaned into Percy slightly more. "I understand that this plan is risky, dangerous, unreliable, stupid, not well-thought-out, an-"

"Not helping defend your plan, Annabeth." Thalia cut in. "Get to the point where you actually persuade us that this isn't ludicrous."

"I was getting to that, Thals." I growled. "But this is also the safest plan. Getting in and out without a hitch is an idiotic wish, there' son way we could pull that off. I have my baseball cap, but invisibility only goes so far. Plus what would be the point of getting in there if we had no chance to get Reyna out from under the sky?" I asked. I was met by silence which I took as a cue to continue. "We need to get someone to hold the Sky who isn't part of this quest. The only others up there would be Luke his gang."

"If we're using stealth **(Thank you, DarkKinght1991)** then how are we going to get one of Luke's followers to hold the Sky?" Jason asked. "It's not like they're just going to walk up to it and decide to hold it."

"I could try charm-speaking them." Piper offered.

I shook my head. "As nice as that would be, the choice has to be made by the candidates own free will, nothing influencing it."

Frank huffed in frustration in a little-kid way. "So how are we supposed to pull this off?"

We were silent, all attempting to think of some magical way to make my semi-formed plan work. _It can't be by magical influence... it has to be by the chooser's free will. What would make one of Luke's gang hold the sky?_

"I think I might know a way." The quivering voice of Graver Underwood echoed in the small room.

Our heads whipped towards the satyr on the couch, all with disbelieving gazes. I wasn't used to Grover making the strategies. In fact, I wasn't used to him getting involved in many fights anyway.

"How?" Percy asked, his strong gaze focused on Grover.

A sigh left Grover as he slouched back into the couch. "Look, I don't think it's smart for me to say this, it's personal."

Thalia raised an eyebrow. " 'Personal'? Sorry, Underwood, but this is battle. 'Personal' doesn't mean a thing here."

Grover didn't back down. "It will most likely work and there's really no point in saying it. Why waste breath?"

"'Most likely' isn't good enough, Grover." Nico stated bluntly. He leaned forward. "We won't judge you, whatever it is." I caught a lightening-fast flash of emotion in his endless black eyes.

Percy leaned towards Grover as well. "I hope you knew that already, buddy. No one here would judge you."

"I know Perce." Grover sighed. "But that's not why I'm not telling. You see, it's not my secret to tell."

"I'm sure they wouldn't mind, since you know, we're saving the world." Jason reasoned. I raised my eyebrow slightly at him, trying to figure out if there was hidden sarcasm underneath his reassurance.

Grover shook his head, finality in the action. "It will work, trust me."

_Line Break~

**Grover's POV**

_Italics=Memory_**  
**

Normal=Reality

Selfish? Yes. Stupid? Very. Pathetic? Uh-huh. But I had to. I had to keep Connor Stoll's secret. It wasn't mine to share.

I scanned my friend's faces, catching the disappointed, indignant, pitying, and angered expressions. Percy's mixed expression bothered me the most. The combination of worry, stress and the tiniest hint of anger on my bestfriend's face caused guilt to flood my emotions. I knew it wasn't right for me to with-hold information, especially when it was so vital, but I couldn't make myself betray a person's trust, I just couldn't for some reason. My eyes flitted to where Thalia sat against the bed frame, then over to Annabeth who was leaning into Percy. I couldn't get the sense of guilt out of my head for some reason...

_Rain, so much that I couldn't see. It blurred my vision, causing me to trip and fall every few feet. The thunder was deafening, surrounding us in a cloud of fear. The lightening struck every few seconds, flashing across the black sky in brilliant arcs._

_"Come on, come on!" I heard a young male's voice. _**(I'm changing this up a bit from the book, so Annabeth doesn't remember that well. Please play along, and forget about the completely messed up timeline. I'll try and make this work as best as I can.) **_"We got to go! They're almost here!"_

_"Lu-Luke!" The sound of a little girl's voice, no more then five or six, wobbled in the stormy air. It was almost drowned out by the boom of thunder. "I'm sc-scared!"_

_"I know, Gods do I know." I could see two blurry shapes through the down-pour. A young male, no more then 12, was carrying a young girl in his arms. He desperately scrambled up a steep hill, sending panicked glances behind him every few seconds. "We've got to move!" Luke shouted to someone farther down the hill. "We can't win this figh-" The boy, Luke, slipped on the slick grass. He and the girl both went down, rolling a few feet towards the bottom._

_I ran towards them, intercepting them before they could roll any farther. "Get up, get up!" I bleated. "You need to get to the Big House!"_

_Luke gasped on the ground. "I-I-"_

_"Luke go! Get Annabeth to the Big House!" I turned around, noticing the punk-styled girl clambering up the hill. She had pitch-black hair that was cut into scruffy spikes. She had electric blue eyes, they were filled with panic._ Thalia. _"Go!"_

_Luke got to his feet, swaying slightly. "Thalia, I'm not leaving you." He bent down and picked up Annabeth. "We're a family. We stick together!"  
_

_She caught up to us, breathing heavily. "Get to the Big House, Luke. Get Annabeth there, she's just a child!" Her eyes held a knowing pain, like she had experienced the pain of losing a child before._

_"And your not?" Luke yelled back._

_Her electric blue eyes started to water. "Please Luke! I'm just going to slow them down, I'll be okay!" She clenched her silver bracelet. "I'll be okay." She repeated._

_Luke was about to say something, but he was cut off by a roar. Our heads whipped towards the sound simultaneously. I couldn't see them clearly, but I could tell that a horde of monsters were going to be on us in seconds._

_"Go now! Grover, get them over the hill! NOW!" Thalia didn't wait for a response. Instead she started to sprint down the hill that she had just laboriously climbed to meet the monsters head on._

_I was stunned, but the first clang of weapons shocked me out of my stupor. "C'mon! You heard her! Move!" I started pulling a frozen Luke, his arms still protectively carrying Annabeth, up the hill._

_We had made it over the hill, I had just pushed Luke and Annabeth down it when I heard it. Thalia's scream of pain._

"Grover!" I flinched, sharply coming out of my weird state-of-mind. My vision cleared, enabling me to see the worried expressions on my friends faces. I frowned, my thoughts were jumbled, I couldn't think clearly. _What just happened?_

"Are you okay?" Piper asked, her voice soft.

My frown deepened, was I? I didn't know."I-I... What happened?"

"You froze, man," Leo explained from where he was sitting on my right. "and your eyes got all foggy. Like a gear in your head snapped, letting something bad go through your mind." He raised an eyebrow. "Not good."

"For how long?" My voice shook. _Why can't I remember?_

Annabeth studied me with grey, intelligent eyes. I saw a quick flash of those same eyes looking at me from a grassy hill, but it left as quickly as it came. "Five to ten minutes. It seemed like you were stuck in a memory. You cried out three names."

I swallowed. "Who's names?" My thoughts were foggy, I couldn't remember anything specific from the past few minutes. I remembered a memory, a bad one, but not much else. A flash of electric blue eyes, a scared girls voice, a boy with sandy blond hair, a cry of pain.

Her piercing eyes held my gaze. "Annabeth, Thalia," she drew in a breath, "and Luke."

_Line Break~

**(Okay, so incase you didn't understand, Grover was having a flashback to when the four of them were going to Camp-Half Blood. Let's just pretend that Annabeth was little, yeah? Anyway, the flashback _was_ put there for a reason, and I _am _going to use both secrets. I'll try and come up with a logical explanation for why Grover, Annabeth and Thalia don't remember Luke or the Stolls. It'll work, I promise.)**

_Line Break~

**Grover's POV (Still)**

"Luke?" I asked, unbelieving. "As in Luke Castellan." My thoughts flitted to the boy who had tried to kill us barely over a day ago.

Annabeth nodded. "You seemed panicked too, and not just for Thalia and I. You were worried about Luke, too."

I frowned, "Bu-" I cut myself off as another flash came.

_A soft light, comforting and homey, shone through the big windows of the Big House. _

_"Almost there." I breathed._

I clutched my head in pain. A memory was fighting it's way to the surface. A memory that my brain didn't want to remember._  
_

_"What about Th-Thalia?" Annabeth's voice sounded as we neared the door. So close._

_Luke grimaced and held on tighter to Annabeth. "She'll be right behind us. She will."_

_My lower lip trembled as I glanced at Annabeth. Her eyes were shining with tears and she clutched Luke's shirt, burying her face into the material._

"Grover!" Percy's voice sounded. "Grover, you have to listen to me! You need to snap out of it!"

I groaned and cracked one eye open. My vision faded in and out, but I could make out the shapes of my friends as they crowded around me.

_We fell through the door, landing on the wooden panels of a porch. Luke blacked out, his face going slack._

_Annabeth shrieked. "L-wuke!" In her panic, she returned to her five-year old manner of speech, momentarily forgetting the wisdom that coursed through her. "Wake up! Pwease!"_

_I managed to rise, walking over to Luke. I hooked my hands under his arms, attempting to pull him further onto the porch and away from danger._

_ Suddenly a little fist hit my knee. I winced but didn't let go. Instead I looked down in shock at Annabeth, stunned that she had hit me._

_"No!" Her voice rose an octave. "Don't touch Luke!"_

_I gaped at her for a second before I bent down to be at her level. "I'm going to help him, Annabeth. He needs medical attention."_

_Annabeth then did something I never would have imagined. She slapped me. I reeled back in shock, clasping a hand over my cheek._

"Grover Underwood!" Someone was calling me. "Come back to us right now!"

"Please Grover!" But I couldn't._  
_

_I sat on the floor, shocked, as I watched the five-year-old walk unsteadily to an unconscious Luke. She stopped near his head and sat down heavily._

_"W-why?" I asked._

_Annabeth looked at me with her grey, innocent eyes._

I could feel someone lifting me up, carrying me somewhere. Then I was being lowered, being settled on something very comfortable. A bed?

"C'mon, G-man, come back to us." A familiar voice, full of pain and worry, floated towards me. I could feel myself being tugged back, out of my mind.

_She tore her gaze from mine, her eyes landing on Luke instead._

Drifting farther and farther away. Away from this memory...

_Her little hands began stroking his sandy blond hair, smoothing it down in a sisterly fashion. _

I could see a piercing light, hear people murmuring to each other. Real people, not memories.

_After what seemed like ages she finally looked up, staring me straight in the eyes._

_"We trusted you to get us here safely," Annabeth broke down in tears. "but you didn't. I'm not going to trust you with another of my friend's lives."_

_Line Break~

**(I'm so sorry for how confusing and badly written that part was. It wasn't what I'd hoped for. Anyway, if you couldn't follow that (I don't blame you if you couldn't) it was Grover's memory of getting to the Big House. Then Annabeth tells him that basically he broke her trust. Obviously Thalia is fine since she never was turned into a tree in this story, but in the few minutes that they didn't have Thalia with them, Annabeth assumed she was dead. I hope that helps you a little!)**

_Line Break~

**Annabeth's POV**

It was two hours, give or take, before Grover finally calmed down. Right after he came back from his first space-out-memory-thing he seemed to have been forced into another one. I was pacing nervously, worried about him. Hazel, Piper and Thalia were trying to wake him up. They desperately spoke to him, they even used the words "enchiladas" and "silverware", yet to no use. I would normally try to help, but I just couldn't force myself to focus on waking him up. It wasn't everyday that my satyr friend would suddenly convulse and start crying while screaming my name along with Thalia's and Luke's.

I was still incredibly puzzled about that factor. Why did he scream Luke's name as if he was genuinely worried about him? Luke had just attempted to dispatch us barely over a day ago. I had an uncomfortable feeling at the back of my head that it had something to do with a memory that was locked away in my mind. _But that's not possible._I thought. _Nothing's locked away in my mind. I can remember everything... right?__  
_

I bit my lip, about to turn again to pace back the way I came, but strong arms wrapped around me from behind. I jumped lightly, only to relax once again as I realized that it was only Percy. I let my head fall back to rest on his shoulder as he laid his chin on top of my head.

"Calm down, Wise Girl. It'll be alright." His voice was soothing, like the ocean.

I breathed in his scent, a lovely mix of fresh air and wisps of salt, relaxing slightly. "I'll try, but Percy, there's so much to worry about!" I squeezed my eyes shut and leaned into him even more. "I wish we could just run away to a place that was 100% carefree."

I could feel him sigh. "If there was such a place, where worry was non-existing, I would do anything to make sure you got there. For now, though, all I can give you is plain, old me."

I turned sharply around in his arms. My hands snaked their way into his silky black hair. "Never," I whispered fiercely, staring into his beautiful green eyes. "_ever_ put yourself down like that. You are the most talented, good-natured, caring person out there." I leaned forward. "Never forget that."

His perfect mouth quirked up on the side. "I think you forgot 'smoking hot' and 'amazingly intelligent'."

I rolled my eyes, but I smiled anyways. "I also forgot 'modest' apparently." My voice dripped with sarcasm.

Percy's joking eyes turned serious as he gazed at me with intensity. "You also forgot yourself, Wise Girl." He leaned towards me. "You forgot to say how brilliant, kind, stunning, talented and perfect you are." He punctuated every adjective with a light kiss on my nose.

I let out a breathy laugh, our heads only inches apart. "I thought that was a given."

"It is, but as you know, I have a tendency to point out the obvious." Percy grinned and kissed me on the lips. The kiss took my breath away. There weren't any fireworks or anything. I didn't suddenly learn how to fly, and the world wasn't cured of it's problems. Yet there was definitely something there. A small spark, almost unnoticeable, yet still definitely there. It didn't promise a perfect life or an easy romance, but it didn't promise that there was a future, and that's all I needed.

"Yo, lovebirds, if you two are done making-out, Grover is waking up over here." I shot an annoyed look at Leo who had been doing a horrible impression of a New York accent. All the same Percy and I hurried over, still linking hands though.

_Line Break~

**Thalia's POV**

I held my breath as I watched Grover's eyes flutter. _C'mon, Grover. _After what felt like an eternity, Grover moaned.

"Food..."

I stifled a laugh as I poked him in the side. "We can get you food later. Right now you need to wake up."

He didn't respond other than moan the word 'food' again.

My mouth stretched into a grin. I leaned close to his ear. "ENCHILADAS!" I yelled, making everyone in the room to jump.

Grover snapped awake, sitting bolt up right. His confused gaze swept over the room until it finally landed on me. I expected him to start ranting on about vegetarian enchiladas, but was surprised when he spoke in a deadly serious voice. "We need to talk."

I was slightly stunned, normally he wasn't this aware when he first woke up. "Um, yeah we do. Wha-"

"Alone." He cut me off smoothly. My mouth threatened to hang open as I stared at him. No one cut me off. _No one. _However, before I could go on a punk-tirade he spoke again, still using his serious voice. "Annabeth, you too."

Nico stepped in. "Hang on a second. What's go-"

"Please." Grover's voice cracked. It was then that I noticed how his eyes seemed to hold something in their deep brown. It was like he remembered something horrible, but he knew he had to face it.

Nico halted his thought, seeming to contemplate the idea.

I rolled my eyes, _Stupid protective cousin._

"Is something wrong, Grover?" Hazel asked, her kind personality showing.

He closed his eyes and shrugged. "Possibly. I just really need to talk to Annabeth and Thalia. Alone."

We all exchanged worried glances, not used to this side of Grover. He was normally the soft one of the group, the one who you could talk to, but now he seemed less approachable, like a cornered animal.

I caught Annabeth's gaze. She shrugged as if saying, 'What can you do?'

I nodded, agreeing with her. Might as well get some answers and if that was the only way to get Grover to talk, then so be it.

"Okay, Grover." I turned towards my friends. "Why don't you guys go down to the hotel café? We'll meet you down there after we're done here."

As soon as they had filed out, both Annabeth and I turned on Grover.

"Talk." Our voices commanded in unison.

**I'm so sorry for not updating. I have been incredibly busy. Anyway, I hope this was okay, even if it was a bit poorly written. I was kind of rushing at the end. Hopefully the next chapter will have more action, this was a bit of an informational chapter. I will update as soon as I can, but I can't promise that that will be soon. I _will_ finish this fanfic, I promise. It just might take a while.**

**Happy Thanksgiving, and to whoever is going shopping on Black Friday, be careful. I apologize again for... everything. If you have any ideas about what you would like in the next few chapters, or ideas, please feel free to let me know. Take it easy, U got 2 get down 2 get up**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello. Kate,  Thanks! I'm so happy you're still reading my story! TheDarkKnight1991, Thank you! Sorry about the A/Ns, I just didn't think it was too clear, I'll make sure to not do that again! As for the Italics and such, I will definitely take that into consideration next time, I was a bit unsure that if people could follow. I'm really glad that you like the story so far! Haha, you are definitely onto something with the Right of Laziness! :) Thank you so much, I really love hearing your feedback! Dawnwizard8010, Haha, thanks! I'm so glad you like it! Azuphere, I'm so happy you think it's coming along well enough! Thanks!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any of the characters, all rights belong to Rick Riordan.**

**Annabeth's POV**

"Talk." Thalia and my voices mixed together, giving them an edge of authority I had never heard before.

Grover looked down towards the cream colored carpet. He took a shuddering breath. "I-I don't know why, but I remembered something. A memory that seems to have been locked away in my mind, something I didn't want to face so much that I had forced myself to forget it."

My eyebrow rose, "What do you mean, Grover? An incident that you hate enough to force yourself to forget?" I tried to understand quite what point he was trying to get across.

Grover nodded, his brown curls bouncing slightly. However he didn't attempt to elaborate on the vagueness of his answer.

"Well?" Thalia asked sharply, leaning towards him. "What incident are we talking about?"

I threw a sharp look in her direction, sending a silent warning of caution. _We need to approach this tactically, or we could easily scare him. _"Grover, you were muttering Thalia's, Luke's and my name when you were unconscious. Were we involved in the incident?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah, you were."

I noticed that Thalia was quickly losing her patience with the reserved satyr. She clenched her teeth together. "What were we doing? When did it take place? Why wouldn't we remember it?"

"Do you remember when we first came to Camp Half-Blood?" I furrowed my eyebrows at the randomness of Grover's question. _Why does he bring that up? _

"Of course I do. Thalia, you and I were being chased by a horde of monsters. It was close, but we all made it. Why do you bring that up now?" I questioned.

Grover looked me dead in the eyes. "That's not all that happened that night." He drew in a deep breath. "Another person was with us, another person I needed to protect."

Realization dawned on me. "Luke." _But that's not possible. I would've remembered him! He would've at least spoken to us about it after we were safe. It's not possible._

"That's impossible. There's no way I _wouldn't _remember that leech." Thalia spit out.

"I thought that, too, but I swear on the River Styx that Luke was with us that night, and he was on our side!" I caught my breath as I heard Grover's oath. You didn't swear on the River Styx unless you were telling the full truth. Thunder boomed ominously in the distance. "It's true, guys. Please believe me."

I shared a glance with Thalia, it was a lot to take in. In fact, it sounded completely insane, there was no way we could _not_ remember! I normally would've just called him nuts and left it at that, but he swore by the Styx. I couldn't overlook that.

"Grover, what you're saying sounds crazy. No other words to put it." I stated firmly, looking him in the eyes.

"I know, I know." He whispered, gripping his hair. "I wish there was some way I could prove that what I saw is real, but I don't know how."

"There's no evidence backing up your claim, Grover." Thalia added. The satyr seemed to be about to say something, but she cut him off. "But, then again, we have no proof to backup our memories either. Someone could easily be playing with your head, making you think these things, but we could have locked away our memories just as easily."

I smiled inwardly, Thalia was maturing. Before she would've just stomped her foot and insisted that she was right. Now, though, now she was looking at both sides of the story, accepting the fact that she could be mistaken.

Grover let out a breath. "I-I... that night. How clearly do you remember it?"

"Crystal." Thalia replied bluntly, leaning back while crossing her arms. Her eyes were hard, her mouth set into a firm line.

"Can you remember the bolts of lightening, arcing over the black sky? The thunder surrounding us like a wave? The pitch black of the night?" Something tugged at the back of my mind.

_I screamed, it was so dark. I didn't like the dark._

"Of course I can. It was a storm, nothing more nothing less." Thalia's eyes narrowed.

Grover shook his head in frustration, "I'm not asking if you remember _a_ storm, Thalia. I'm asking if you remember that _specific_ night as well as the storm. Can you remember the glow of the Big House's windows? The smell of pine and wet grass? Can you remember slipping up the dark hill, the grass as high as our waists?"

_It was cold. Flashes of light lit up the sky for a few moments, then faded back to darkness._ _They were so close, too close. The power of the storm swirled around us, rain pelted us from every direction. It hurt, but water wasn't supposed to hurt._

Thalia looked like she was about to interrupt once again, but I spoke out before she could. "Wait, Thalia. Listen to him." I turned to Grover, looking into his warm brown eyes. "Go on." I could feel something tugging at the back of my mind. A memory slowly being triggered by Grover's seemingly trivial questions.

His hazel eyes sparked with hope as Grover eagerly continued. "Do you remember running up the hill, Annabeth?"

I frowned. Of course I did... I must've. I had to have had somehow gone up the hill to get to the Big House. _Then why can I not remember running up it?_ "I-I feel like I did. I remember the feeling of grass whipping against my legs." My frown deepened. "I remember looking behind me and seeing you, Grover. Thalia was further behind us, right?" I asked uncertainly, suddenly painfully aware of how fuzzy my memory was.

"But Annabeth, how could you have been in front of Thalia and me if you were only five?" Grover questioned softly. "It isn't possible unless..." He looked up, meeting my eyes, as he silently urged me to complete his sentence.

"Unless I was being carried by someone." I finished grimly.

_Strong arms gripped me._

_"Don't worry, Annabeth." A deep voice, warm and comforting echoed through the dark. Reaching me when everything else was drowned out by thunder. "We'll be okay."_

He nodded. "And if Thalia and I were both behind you, and I had called out three names, who would have been carrying you?"

Thalia's electric blue eyes met mine.

_"Okay,"_

"Luke."

_Line Break~

**Jason's POV**

The lobby was surprisingly empty as we waited for Annabeth, Thalia and Grover. I anxiously tapped my foot as I scanned my surroundings, a habit I had picked up from Wilderness School. The lobby had huge windows, letting in the natural California light, giving the lobby an open and airy feeling.

We all sat around a round café table. Hazel sat between Frank and Nico, sipping a raspberry smoothie. She held Frank's hand on top of the table as she and Frank spoke quietly to Nico. The small gesture made me smile, it wasn't every day that you saw such a pure gesture in the current day.

Leo sat besides Nico, tinkering away with screws and wires. I was always amazed at what Leo could pull off with his tools. He didn't seem like much, with his small build and impish smile, but underneath it all, there was a force to be reckoned with as well as a mechanical brain worthy of Athena.

My gaze moved to Percy, sitting to the left of Nico. His green eyes were glazed over as he stared into space, his hands clenched on the table. I couldn't help but feel bad for the guy. He had such a bad life, only to be saddled with more and more pressure. It was a wonder he didn't crack.

My gaze finally drifted to Piper. She sat on my left, her hair pulled into a messy braid. I could see her kaleidoscope eyes staring at her glass of water, her mouth turned down into a frown. She was so beautiful without even trying. She could wear sweatpants and a ratty old T-Shirt and she'd still outshine all the other Aphrodite girls back at Camp Half-Blood. Piper wasn't just pretty, but smart, brave, kind and funny. She had qualities that would make anyone, even if she had warts, green skin and crooked teeth, fall madly in love with her. I couldn't help but marvel at how lucky I was to have Piper, not just as my girlfriend, but as a friend as well.

"What do you guys think was wrong with Grover?" I tore my attention away from Piper, focusing on Nico instead.

Percy sighed. "I've known Grover for years, I've never seen him like that. Ever."

Hazel frowned. "It must've been something big, considering he passed out."

"It obviously has something to do with Annabeth and Thalia. Not to mention Luke as well." Piper leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table.

Frank's eyebrows furrowed in thought. "What was so horrible that caused Annabeth and Thalia lock away their memories." He looked up, scanning each of our faces.

Percy leaned back in his chair, his face contorted into a pained expression. "I don't know."

"Hey, it's oka-" Piper was cut off by Grover's voice, echoing through the vacant hotel.

"You need to get up there!" Grover's rapid breathing made it difficult to decipher the words. "Now!"

_Line Break~

**Hazel's POV**

My grip instinctively tightened on Frank's hand. I stood, along with the rest of the table, turning to face Grover. His face was red, his eyes watering.

"What's wrong?" Percy ran forward, meeting his best friend half way.

He was shaking, his eyes wild and searching the vacant lobby. "They, they just came! All at once! I-I-" His frantic cry echoed through out the hotel.

"Grover!" Grover's eyes focused on Piper for a second, momentarily clearing. "You need to calm down, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

Grover sucked in a breath sharply. "W-we were in the room. I was helping us remember what happened that night, but th-then-" Grover cut himself off.

Percy swiftly steadied him, letting Grover lean on him. "Then what, Grover? C'mon, you can do it."

"Then something came in through the window. Powerful, unlike anything I've fought before."

Nico and Percy shared an alarmed look. "What was it?" Nico questioned softly.

Grover's breathing was shallow, his brown eyes glazed over. "A-A presence, it was there, yet not at the same time. Intangible, yet it hurt like the Styx if you got in it's way. I-it was dark, like a puff of smoke. **(I'm not sure about this. I'm sorry if I got this wrong!) **When you touched it, it felt like you couldn't breath. Your mind was thrashed into a state where you couldn't think... It was so scary."

I shared a quick glance with Frank. That didn't sound good.

"Hey, hey." Percy murmured quietly. "You're okay. We'll be okay. What happened after that? Where's Annabeth and Thalia?"

His breath wavered, but Grover answered anyway. "Annabeth she told me to run and find you guys. Told me she and Thalia would be alright. I-I was in such a panic, I knew I couldn't do any help up there. Right before I ran out of the room, the thing, it-it just left. Right out the window, into the daylight."

Nico bit his lip. "What happened after that? Why isn't Annabeth or Thalia with you?"

"Immediately after it left, monsters came storming into the room. Thalia shouted at me to get you, and here I am." Grover rushed out. "I'm so sorry! I never should've left them, but I didn't know what to do!"

"Grover, it's fine. We need to get back up there now!" I cut off his ramblings, sprinting to the elevator.

Percy was a step ahead of me, already frantically jamming the "up" button. "C'mon, c'mon." He muttered under his breath.

"We'll take the stairs!" Percy and Nico sprinted up the stairs, flying up them easily.

After an eternity, the elevator finally opened. We all slammed ourselves into the elevator, desperately waiting for the elevator to reach our floor.

With a 'ding', the elevator doors opened, allowing us to sprint down the hallway to our rooms. I could smell fire, feel electricity in the air, as well as hear the clanging of metal. I bit my lip, forcing my legs to move faster.

Turning the corner, I was met by the sight of a full blown battle.

Thalia, who was closest to the door, was shooting brilliant arcs of electricity out of her spear, her shield drawn. She was dueling four dracaenae, dodging left and right. **(That's how Rick Riordan spelled it.) **I could see Nico fighting along side her, covering her back. He was fighting off two other dracaenae while still maintaining a line of offense to keep any stragglers from getting a lucky shot at Thalia's back. The darkness of Nico's aura mixed with Thalia's light, creating a dangerous combination that had the monsters stumbling backwards from the sheer power.

Annabeth was at the back part of the room. The window looked like it had been ripped right out of the wall, leaving a jagged hole where it once was, Californian light streaming through. Annabeth's dagger flashed dangerously as she swept through wave after wave of monsters. She was surrounded on all sides, but was somehow keeping her ground. She spun and twirled, engaged in a lethal dance with the monsters of all kinds around her. A few feet from Annabeth was Percy. His green eyes blazed with anger as he slashed, stabbed and hacked away at the monsters around him. His sword, Riptide, was a blur, causing havoc wherever it touched.

Piper, Frank, Jason, Leo, Grover and I wasted no time joining the fight. Jason flew over the heads of monsters, landing off to the left of the room. There he began stabbing at monsters, causing quite the wreckage.

Grover and Leo set off as a pair, a strange combination of mechanics and nature working extraordinarily well with each other.

Piper ran to help Annabeth, pulling out her dagger as she went.

"Hey, monsters, wanna play a game?" Her charm-speak rolled over the horde, making them pause. They turned towards her, in a trance. Piper smiled blindingly, "It's called pierce the monsters with a weapon!" She shouted gleefully as she whipped around with her dagger, killing the monsters within reach immediately. I noticed Jason proud grin as he watched his girlfriend, his eyes following her every move.

Frank and I dove into the battle, not skipping a beat. We wove together, fighting back to back near the door to keep any stragglers from getting out of the room. _I'm sure the hotel manager would love that. _I thought randomly as I sliced through another rebel hellhound.

_Line Break~

The fight lasted for barely 15 minutes. Though there were numerous monsters, there were also nine highly annoyed demigods and a satyr with reed pipes. By the end of it all, we sat around in a circle, catching our breath.

I listened carefully to Annabeth, Thalia and Grover as they filled us in on what had happened. It seemed impossible at first, yet the more I thought about it, the more plausible it became. The only loose end, the only thing I couldn't quite believe, was the part about Luke.

"You do realize that your minds must've locked away a good portion of your memories to completely lock away any remnant of Luke, right?" Nico stated, his eyes darkened with thought.

"In fact, the whole camp must've forgotten if you guys had never heard of Luke before." I added. "It doesn't seem possible that _everyone_ would forget, especially for that length of time."

"Although you raise a good point, Hazel," Annabeth replied, "you have to remember that Luke was from the Hermes cabin. You know how they can be... pushed aside sometimes."

Percy nodded, frowning. "When I went to Camp Half Blood for a few weeks, I was put into the Hermes cabin, as you know. I was never looked at twice, never spoken to unless I asked a direct question. I was always being pushed around by the other cabins, constantly being called weak behind my back." His gaze fell on the floor. "It wasn't fun." He summarized with an awkward clear of his throat.

"Hang on a sec," Leo's voice cut through the tension. "Let's just say for one crazy moment that Luke was there that night, that Grover was protecting him as well as Thalia and Annabeth. What would make him suddenly turn all destroy-the-gods-if-it's-the-last-thing-I-do? I mean, he was just chased by a horde of monsters, you'd think the guy would want to destroy them, not use them as allies."

"Again, Leo, Hermes was never the most important of the 12 cabins. Resentment and neglect can make people do strange things." Annabeth stated.

"There's gotta be more, though." Leo persisted. He leaned forward, momentarily forgetting about his wires and trinkets. "I promise you, neglect and resentment can do horrible things to people's minds, but it doesn't make you turn completely opposite of what you were before. Trust me on that one."

I didn't like at the understanding glint in Leo's eyes, almost as if he knew exactly like it was to be abandoned.

"Then there's a personal side to it," Thalia allowed. "however that shouldn't sway our decisions. Luke was obviously the one who sent that horde of monsters. We have to retaliate, or he'll just keep hounding us. We need Reyna back anyway."

Leo leaned back, his hands picking back up to their humming bird pace, yet he still wore a small frown. "Yeah, yeah sure."

"Was it really Luke, though?" Grover questioned.

Thalia looked at him with her eyebrow raised. "Who else would it be?"

"It could've been that... that _thing_." Annabeth suggested, her fingers playing with a string on the rug. "That presence, it was powerful. It didn't seem like the average monster, didn't seem like something a demigod could control."

"What do you think it was, Annabeth?" Frank asked, concern evident in his voice.

Annabeth shook her head, biting her lip. "I-I don't know."

Percy gazed at Annabeth, clearly not convinced by her answer. "You have at least a guess, Wise Girl. I know you do." He intertwined their hands, giving her hand an encouraging squeeze.

She sighed, leaning her forehead onto Percy's shoulder. "Why do you have to be observant now?"

Percy chuckled. "I have impeccable timing."

Annabeth lifted her head from his shoulder, meeting our curious gazes. "I-I honestly don't know, but my guess is that Luke is working for a dark force. A force of forgotten, but dangerous power. I-I'm guessing it's the goddess Eris."

"Heiress?" Percy cocked an eyebrow. "There's a Greek goddess named after some rich girl?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Not 'heiress', Seaweed Brain, Eris. Eris is the goddess of strife and discord. She was the underlying reason the Trojan War took place. She is often thought as as the goddess, Enyo."

"Oh." Percy's brilliant response was.

"Yeah," Annabeth rolled her eyes once more. "oh."

Jason tilted his head slightly. "So what's the plan then? Go fight Luke and his little gang as well as their boss, the goddess of discord? That won't end well."

"What other choice to we have?" Piper asked. "We _have_ to get Reyna back. It's not an option." Piper's eyes filled with determination.

"Your right, Piper," Annabeth supported. "and I think I know just how to get her out." Annabeth smirked coldly, making me _very_ glad she was on _my _side. "We just need to call for some back up first."

**Travis Stoll's POV**** (Slight time skip backwards)**

I bit my lip as I stared out from my stance on a stone column. The California sun wasn't quite up yet, light was just breaking over the grey clouds. I could make out a grey lightening the black sky on the horizon.

_"Travis!" Someone burst into my hideout in the woods. I could see from the silhouette that was cast over the dirt floor that it was a boy about my height. However I didn't need that, or even his voice to know who he was._

I clenched my fists shut. "No, I won't. I won't go back." My voice was wavering, my breathing shallow. I didn't want to go back to that day.

_"Travis, how could you?" His voice came closer, accompanied by the his light steps on the earth. "Luke is no good, you know that!"_

_I didn't turn around to face him, instead I carried on with sharpening a knife. I didn't want to face him._

_"You-you can't join him and his little gang! They-"_

_"They what?" I cut him off, finally turning to face him. His face was contorted with anger, worry, confusion, stress and shock. I hated seeing him like that, he was supposed to be smiling from ear to ear. He was supposed to have his eyes glinting with mischief and laughter, not clouded by anger and betrayal._

_"They'll get you killed." His blue eyes, so much like mine, were watering slightly._

_I bit my lip, resisting the urge to hug him, tell him it was okay. "They will give me a chance."_

I hissed and crouched down on the column. I wanted the memories to stop, it was in the past. I couldn't change it, so why think about it? It was over.

_"The chance to die!"_ _He came closer, his hands fists at his sides._

_I laughed, cold and humorless. "Maybe, but at least I'd be dying for a cause. Here? What cause do we have? Fight for the gods? Be pawns in their twisted little games?" I let out another cold chuckle. "No way. I'll die on my own terms, thanks."_

_His lower lip quivered. "What happened to you, Travis?" He sniffed, slowly starting to back towards the door. "You used to have so much light and life."_

_"Reality happened to me." I answered coldly. "You could use a dose."_

_He shook his head, biting his lip. "Reality didn't happen to you, cruelty did." He turned away from me, swiping a tear from his face. "Leave if that's what you think is right, but know that I'm not gonna follow you on this one."_

_I could feel my heart break as my brother ran away from me._

Tears slid down my face as I was finally released from that horrible memory. I didn't want to admit it, but I missed my brother so badly.

_Line Break~

**Sally Jackson's** **POV**

I wiped tears away from my face as I ran. My lungs were burning, screaming for more air. I could feel plants and grass whip across my ankles and legs, something I hadn't experienced in nearly seven years. My legs were begging me to stop, but I couldn't stop. I wouldn't stop until my baby was safe again.

**Hey! I am so sorry for not updating in almost a month. Um, I wish I had a good explanation, but I really don't. Sorry. I would also like to apologize so much for the horrible grammar and weak plot in this chapter. It is quite literally 2:40am as I write this down, and my head is swimming. Thankfully, thanks to a few suggestions from reviews, I believe I have most of the end of the fanfiction mapped out, so it should run smoothly from here. Thank you for the patience! Happy Holidays! Take it easy, U got 2 get down 2 get up**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello. Dawnwizard8010, I'm glad you liked it! The title is actually a saying I heard once. It basically says that even though you might think it's all going smooth (you have the cup) there is still a very real chance of things messing up numerous times before you reach your goal. It's a bit odd and not very well known, but I thought it'd be well-suited for this story. I'm glad you asked! Thank you for reading! Kate, Thank you so much for your input! I'm glad you reminded me to correct my summary, I would've just forgotten if you hadn't. I'm sorry I've been repetitive, I do believe you are correct on that matter. I do truly need to think up a way to get out of Rick Riordan's plot line. I think I should've placed this a bit differently with different ideas and settings, but I'll try to make this work as well as I can as well as end the story. Thank you so much for everything, and hopefully I'll be able to finish this story soon! TheDarkKnignt1991,  RoL sounds quite promising. "All writers are exempted from scorn by peers and superiors if they fail to publish a chapter within a month." I believe should be a rule in the RoL. I'm glad you liked the characters, I was hoping to define the characters a bit better than they had been previously in my fanfiction. Thank you so much, I'm very happy to hear your feedback! **

**Thanks to everyone who reads this, and thanks for the patience.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any of the characters, all rights belong to Rick Riordan**

**Connor Stoll's POV**

A sigh of relief escaped my mouth as I leaned back against the tree branch. It was around 5:30pm, the period of time when everyone was either passed out in their cabins, cleaning up for dinner or taking extra classes. _Over-achievers _I thought as I rolled my eyes.

The afternoon sunlight cast a golden, fiery, glow over the cabins. It bounced off the lake, shimmering flickers of light weaving through the air. I could hear the younger campers laughing and screaming as they splashed in the canoe lake. The smell of strawberries dominated the valley as satyrs played soft tunes on their reed pipes, matching the lazy, almost dream-like state of the camp.

It was times like those that kept me going. Times when everything was peaceful, lazy and slow, the way a mortal summer camp is like. I sneered, a bitter taste in my mouth, _As if__ we'd ever be normal. As if we'd get a chance to have a long, _human_, life. _I closed my eyes, cold thoughts running through my head. Normal people didn't have to worry about making it through the next day. They didn't have to be afraid of their own shadows, peeking around every corner to make sure it was safe. They weren't charged with the task of keeping monsters at bay and fighting off mythical beings when they were children.

I grunted and shook my head sharply, _No, I won't think like that. _Those were the thoughts that drove my brother, the only stable part of my life, to abandon everything he knew to join forces with something he couldn't even comprehend.

_I'm better than that. _I thought with determination. However, as I stared at the orange light shining through the green leaves, I knew it was only a matter of time till I broke my neutral façade. I knew I was going to be forced to pick a side, I just hoped I would be strong to pick the side I knew was right.

_Line Break~

Dinner was crowded as usual. The cabins ate at their respective tables, leaving the Hermes cabin off to the side. We were allowed the biggest table, yet we still had trouble fitting everyone in. Younger campers had to sit on the older camper's laps while the others had to fight for seats. Being the Head of the Hermes Cabin, I was always guaranteed a seat. I frowned, completely ignoring the other campers, as I realized that a young girl, no more then seven, was pushed aside by her fellow cabin mates.

"Um excuse me," I called to her gently. The Hermes table quieted, not used to my participation during dinner. Ever since Travis had left, I had withdrawn from the conversations. This was the first time I had spoken loudly for a few months, and my cabin mates had grown accustomed to my silence. "what's your name?"

The little girl, her pale blue eyes so much like my own, answered in a high-pitched voice. "Silvia." Her face was curious, but her eyes were wary.

I smiled gently, letting her know that I wasn't going to prank her. "Well Silvia, would you like to sit in my seat? I'm finished eating and I was going to bed anyway."

Her eyes remained suspicious. "Really?"

I grinned at her. "Truly." I stood up, making a show of dusting off the old wooden bench. I exaggerated a bow, regally gesturing for her to sit down. "My lady."

Silvia giggled, her buck teeth showing as she skipped over to where I was bowing. "Thank you!"

"Of course, Lady Silvia, it was my honor to escort you to your throne." I smiled genuinely as I heard her high-pitched laugh. "Now I must be off, for my quest is not yet complete."

"What else are you going to do?" Silvia's smile was innocent and childish as she blinked up at me from where she had sat on the bench.

"My quest was to save the beautiful Lady Silvia from a cold dinner in the dungeons," I pointed disdainfully to the ground as I spoke, "and now that I have accomplished that, I must conquer the greatest feat of all!" I declared dramatically.

"What's that?" Silvia's excitement in my made-up quest coaxed a soft smile onto my face.

I leaned in close to her ear and whispered, "Going to sleep, when I know how much beauty and laughter I will have tomorrow."

Silvia looked slightly confused, but grinned at me none the less. "Well I hope, Sir Connor, that you will conquer this feat with ease."

I stood, the soft smile never leaving my face. "All you need is faith and hope, Lady Silvia, that's all you need."

With one last grin, I strode out of the dining Pavilion, ignoring the stunned look from the other campers. I understood their shock, I had just interacted with another camper, a child no less, without it being forced or even slightly uncomfortable. I hadn't done that since Travis had left, yet strangely I didn't feel shocked or strange at all. There was just something about the way Silvia seemed so innocent and young. I knew a demigod that pure was rare to find, and I supposed I just needed a light to pick me up from the dark that had surrounded itself around me.

I stood outside the Hermes cabin, debating whether or not I actually wanted to go inside and sleep. The night was still young, the moon just clearing the coastline. I walked on, passing the other cabins without a second look. The camp fire was just being lit, casting warmth and light in a ten-foot radius. I could hear laughter coming from the campfire, songs being sung and stories being told.

I let out a puff of air, gazing up into the sky. There were so many stars, brilliant white dots scattered across the navy sky. I could make out constellations, Orion's Belt, Cassiopea, Canis Major and Canis Minor. The wind blew peacefully, swaying the trees of the forest I had wandered into.

Abruptly the night sounds stopped. A queer, eerie sound filled the air, a sound of power. I whirled around, taking in my surroundings, scanning for any sign of a threat. I relaxed my defensive stance for a second, only to stiffen once again as I heard the sound of loud cursing from a clearing near me.

Cautiously, I peeked out from a bush, looking for the source of the cursing.

"Styx!" I couldn't keep the amused smirk off my face as I stared at the scene in front of me. The son of Hades, the mysterious and powerful Nico di Angelo stood cursing in Ancient Greek as his powerful cousins, the offspring of Poseidon and Zeus, lay dazed on the ground.

"For Gods sake, Nico, shut up already!" Thalia yelled, her hands clutching her ears. "The ringing is painful enough without your little tantrum."

Nico promptly quieted, though not before he let a few more curses fly.

"What happened? I thought you got the hang of shadow-traveling by now." Percy groaned as he rolled onto his stomach in an attempt to get up.

Nico shook his head in frustration. "When you're dragging your two fighting cousins along for the ride things can get a tad mixed up. Just be happy we didn't land in China or something."

Thalia glared up at him. "Landing on the top of the tallest tree in the whole freaking camp isn't much to be happy about." She spit as she heaved herself off the ground.

Percy groaned, shakily standing as well. "Will you two stop bickering? We need to find him and get out of here already. Wasting time really isn't an option here."

"Fine." Thalia and Nico muttered sullenly.

"Where should we look first?" Percy asked, scanning his surroundings.

Nico's eyes cleared of the annoyance that had earlier clouded them. He glanced around, trying to orient himself. "It can't be later than eight. I'd say Connor is either at the camp fire or the Hermes cabin."

"Or, seeing as he's a Stoll, he could be anywhere in this freaking camp." Thalia snapped, clearly still a bit irritated at her cousin.

My eyes narrowed, _Why are they looking for me?_ My instinct was to be cautious, but this was the Big Three golden group, and more importantly, my friends. If I couldn't trust them, I really couldn't trust anybody seeing as my own brother had left me.

"Do I want to know why the Big Three children are looking for me?" I asked as I appeared from behind the bush.

I smirked as I watched Nico jump, spinning to face me. Thalia let out a small yelp, sending little sparks flying from her hands. Percy seemed the most collected, merely pivoting to look at me.

"We are here to offer you an invitation." Percy casually informed me.

My left eyebrow rose slightly. "An invitation to what exactly?"

"A chance." Nico supplied, his gaze focused on me.

I could feel the impatient expression creep onto my face as I let out an exasperated groan. "Oh? A chance to do what exactly?"

Thalia stepped forward. "A chance to save your brother."

_Line Break~

**Sally Jackson's POV (I'm sorry if she's out of character, I don't really know how to write in her POV.)**

"Excuse me, ma'am?" I looked up to meet the eyes of a middle-aged man. He had salt-and-pepper like hair, and a kind smile. "Are you alright? You seem a bit...lost."

I fought a blush of embarrassment, choosing instead to look around the small café I was seated in. Although I had managed to get new clothes and access my bank account, (that took some persuasion) I was still painfully ignorant of the current time. "I'm alright, thank you. Just a little...disoriented."

The man smiled kindly. "I suppose that happens to everyone in the middle of a busy week, yes?" He pointed at the seat across from me. "Is this seat taken?"

I couldn't fight the small smile that made it's way across my face, there was just something about the sparkle in his eyes that made it impossible to _not _smile back at him. _Just like Percy. _I thought sadly, but quickly pushed that thought out of my head. "Not at all, please feel free."

The man took a seat, his smile never dropping. "Please let me introduce myself," he politely held his hand out to me. "my name is Paul Blofis. Please, call me Paul."

"Sally Jackson." I responded as I shook his hand. His hand was warm to the touch, and strangely comforting. "Pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine." Paul replied smoothly, obviously a man of manners. "May I ask what such a lovely woman as yourself is doing in one of the sleepiest towns in California?"

I smiled at his compliment, it had been a long time since I had been praised like that. Percy of course, had always been sweet and kind like that, but it was a bit different, receiving a compliment from your son compared to receiving one from someone my own age. "I honestly don't know. I am in a bit of a predicament at the moment and I just don't see how to work it out."

Instead of the wary look I was ready to receive, a look of genuine concern flashed onto his face. "A predicament you say? Is there any chance I could help you?"

I could feel shock cloud my features for a few seconds. Here was a regular mortal, a stranger, blindly asking if he could help a strange woman he happened to meet in a café.

My utter confusion must've been quite evident as Paul chuckled. "Everyone needs a hand once in a while. You look like you could use one right about now."

My lips twitched into a soft smile. "Thank you, Paul, your offer is quite generous, but I don't believe you can help me in this particular situation." I sighed, letting my head rest on my hands. "I don't think anyone can help me honestly." _I just want my little boy back._ "Anyway, may I inquire why you are here, Paul?" I looked at him inquisitively.

Paul furrowed his eyebrows. "There's always something you can do." He murmured before shaking his head. "Ah, yes, well I'm here-"

Paul was cut off by the sound of the door opening. I turned in my seat quickly, scanning for any sign of a threat. My defensive expression melted however when I saw who had walked through the door. I let out a gasp of shock and surprise.

Percy, Thalia and Nico strode into the café, choosing a table close to the door. A waitress came up to them, politely handing them menus before scurrying off in the direction of the kitchen. None of the three cousins spared a glance at the menu, instead choosing to huddle together, probably discussing strategies.

I felt a wave of shock slice through my previous happiness. _Why wasn't Percy still under the Sky? Did Thalia and Nico rescue him?_ Overpowering my questions, however, was the unbelievable happiness that surged through me. My baby boy was right there, looking strong and kind. After all those years I had spent in the Underworld, I could finally see him, my son.

I stood up, only to hesitantly sit back down. I didn't know how to approach this situation. I wanted to run over and scoop him into my arms, to be able to hold him close for the first time in so long. However another part of me wanted to wait. To figure out exactly what the situation was and figure out how my boy had changed. After a minute or two of debating fiercely with myself, I settled in to observe Percy.

"Sally?" I whipped my head around. I had completely forgotten about Paul. The poor man sat in the chair opposite me, a bewildered expression placed on his face.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, Paul!" I apologized. "I, um, I just-"

I was cut off by Paul laughing quietly. "Don't worry about it, I see you just had a break through with your situation."

I nodded, half apologetically while the other half was relieved that he understood.

"I'll leave you to it, then. I suppose you would care for some time alone?" He questioned politely as he stood up from the table.

I smiled apologetically at him. "Terribly sorry about that, Paul."

"No, no, it's quite alright. I wish you the best of luck." He smiled, the kind sparkle never leaving his eye.

"Thank you." I answered quietly.

He nodded, walking out of the café onto the sidewalk.

I focused straight back on Percy and his cousins. It seemed that I had missed some depressing news since they were all slightly slouched in defeat. I inched forward slightly, just getting into hearing-range.

"Face it, di Angelo, we'll never find her in the span of a few hours." Thalia stated tiredly, resting her head in her hands.

Nico glared up at her. "Way to give up, Thalia. I thought you were a fighter."

I watched proudly as Percy bravely set himself in between the two before a major battle could occur. "Stop it, you two." He ran a hand over his face. "Look, I know you're tired and frustrated. I am too, but we can't just give up."

Thalia opened her mouth, an angry retort on the tip of her tongue, yet Percy cut her off. "Not that anyone was going to give up." He shot a look at Nico, silencing any protest he had. "We can and we will find my mom. We need her help and plus..." Percy trailed off, taking a deep breath. "she's alive."

Curiosity shot through me. I knew that Percy would look for me, but I didn't think he'd look for me for multiple reasons. I couldn't stand it any longer, the need to have my boy back in my arms was overwhelming any sense of strategy in me. I stood up, slowly walking towards the trio.

Thalia was speaking to Percy, both slightly turned away from me while Nico stood in between the two. He caught sight of me first, his jaw dropping as he stared at me. I smiled fondly as I recalled the last time I had seen him. He was scrawny, with black hair and obsidian eyes. However, no matter his appearance, he radiated a powerful aura, giving him a surprising air of authority.

Thalia and Percy noticed simultaneously that their cousin suddenly wasn't paying attention to the strategy that they were discussing. Both cousins whipped their heads in my direction, earning a gasp from Thalia, a sharp intake from Percy and a chuckle from myself as I noted how alike the two were.

"Mom!" Percy yelled, springing towards me.

I held out my arms, letting my little boy crash into me. Although he was 15, I still felt the same as I had four years ago, the last time I had hugged my son. I hugged him close, both of our bodies shaking as we embraced. Percy was just as I had remembered, only taller, stronger and from what I had observed, more tactical.

"Percy, my little boy. You've grown." I commented, not releasing him from my hold.

Percy shook slightly with a quiet chuckle. "That tends to happen over the course of four years."

I nodded my agreement. We stood there, embraced the other for a few more minutes before I came back to my senses.

I gently moved to sit down in one of the chairs near by, not letting go of Percy and merely placing him on my lap. I glanced up to see Thalia and Nico quietly take their own seats, letting us have our moment.

"Percy, honey, we have to figure this out. I don't think we can afford to lose any time." I whispered quietly into his ear.

I felt him nod and slowly raise his head to look at me. "You're right. we can't afford to waste any time." He turned slightly on my lap so he was facing his cousins as well. "Where to start though?"

"Well, we could start by telling your mom that we need her help." Nico offered. "It's great to see you, Ms. Jackson." He smiled warmly at me.

"It's wonderful to see you as well, Nico." I smiled back fondly at the boy before focusing back on the problem at hand. "Now what do you need my help for?"

Thalia leaned forward. "We believe that a goddess is helping Luke. There's no way that he'd have enough knowledge, never mind enough power, to bring you back from...from the Underworld." Thalia awkwardly paused, gaging my reaction to her use of the word. I nodded encouragingly, silently showing her that it was fine.

"We believe that the goddess is Eris, the goddess of strife and discord." Nico added.

"And your plan is to create discord by having me, someone brought back from the Underworld, near by? Wouldn't that just give her more power?" I questioned skeptically.

"Yes, it would. However you wouldn't be the only source of discord, mom." Percy replied. "We also have another source, Connor Stoll and his brother."

"I still don't understand how giving her more power will help you defeat her."

"What happens if a battery is given too much power?" Thalia questioned lightly.

My eyes narrowed. "It blows up, but that takes quite a lot of power."

"What's the most powerful relation on Earth?" Nico inquired innocently.

I stopped, mulling over Nico's innocent question. "Family bonds, I suppose." I finally answered, finally understanding what their strategy was. It was brilliant, now that had I thought about it.

"And what happens if those family bonds are broken? Either by choice or accident?" Percy turned to face me.

"An awful amount of discord and strife, I'd imagine." I spoke. "Good idea, brilliant in fact."

"Oh, it wasn't us who thought of it." Nico said, standing up from the table.

Thalia followed suit, pushing her chair in quietly. Percy mimicked his cousins, silently standing, offering his hand to help me up as well.

"Who did think of it, then?" I asked as we walked out of the café into the bright Californian sunlight.

Nico took the lead, walking off towards the right. Thalia fell into stride with him, leaving Percy and I a bit of privacy as we trailed them. I smiled at the two cousins in front of me. Neither of them saw it, but I noted the family bonds between the two. I noticed how Nico would unconsciously glance over at Thalia every now and then, a protective glint in his eye that only a brother could have for his sister. I observed how Thalia would walk slightly in front of Nico whenever a stranger would pass, how she would instinctively put herself in between the two.

"So who did think of your plan?" I asked, my gaze settling on my son.

He was looking ahead of us, a thoughtful expression on his face. _He looks like_ Poseidon. I thought fleetingly before focusing back on the topic at hand. "My friend, Annabeth Chase. She's a daughter of Athena and is absolutely brilliant." Percy's eyes widened, as if he'd just realized what he had said. He glanced at me quickly, flushing slightly. "I-I mean, uh, well-"

I cut off his ramblings before excuses could start up. I knew my son, and I knew what that blush meant. "Should I know a little something about this Annabeth?" I asked, smiling lightly as I watched Percy's blush redden further. I didn't approve of dating so young, not for regular mortals anyway, however I also knew what Percy was like. He may not have been considered the sharpest person in the world, but he definitely had good judgment when it came to people.

"I, uh, I really like her." Percy allowed, looking down, his face red. "I know you don't approve of dating at my age, but-"

"But you two are in a relationship." I finished. He nodded sheepishly, yet I could see a bit of defiance in the way his jaw tightened. _My boy is growing up._ I thought. "It's true, I don't normally approve of dating so young, however," I quickly continued as I noticed Percy about to protest. "I know this girl must be special to you. Judging on her brilliant plan, her involvement in your mission and her obvious positive role in your life, I'd say you're very special to her as well."

"You're, you're okay with us dating?" Percy asked, his mouth hanging open slightly.

My mouth twitched into an amused smile. "I still want to meet her, get to know her a bit, however yes, for the most part I am okay with you two dating. I've been gone for four years, as much as I don't want to admit it, times have changed, and you have changed. You're not the little boy I took care of four years ago." I replied, watching Percy's reaction.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, he smiled widely. "I'm not that different."

"Maybe, but you have matured since I last saw you." We turned down a quieter street, one shaded from the afternoon light. "Besides, it's not like you two can go on that many dates without a car."

Percy's laugh bounced off the walls of the street, giving the place a lighter atmosphere than before.

"So, are you traveling with anyone else?" I asked as we walked towards the less populated part of the street.

Percy nodded, his eyes still holding a spark of happiness. "Yeah, there were a bunch of demigods at the school I was going to. Leo, Frank, Hazel, Piper, Jason and Reyna who are all from either Camp Half Blood or Camp Jupiter." I noticed a slight tinge of sadness and guilt laced on the last name. "Grover Underwood is with us too." Percy added, grinning.

I smiled, remembering the satyr that had been Percy's best friend all those years ago, it was good to hear that he was alright. "Where are they all?"

Percy's smile dropped. "Grover, Annabeth, Frank, Hazel, Leo, Piper and Jason are all planning strategies in our hotel room right now. Nico, Thalia and I recruited another demigod, Connor Stoll, to help us as well. We dropped him off at the hotel before starting our search for you, actually." Percy informed me.

Immediately I noticed he left out one person. "What about the last friend you mentioned before? Reyna?"

Percy tensed. "Reyna. She's... she sacrificed herself so I could be free. She's holding up the Sky right now." His voice wavered at the end of the sentence, fragile from strain and guilt.

My maternal instincts activated by Percy's weak voice flared. "I hope you understand that it's not your fault. Your friends needed you, and Reyna seems like the kind of person who is willing to fight for things she believes in."

"She is." Came the dazed reply from Percy.

"Percy," I started, intent on securing the fact that it wasn't Percy's fault, however I was interrupted by an awkward cough.

Percy and I both glanced towards Thalia and Nico standing by a shadowing corner near the wall.

"If you guys don't mind, we don't really have that much time." Thalia said, obviously trying to keep her patience. "We need to get back to the others." Nico silently nodded his assent.

"Right, of course, dears." I answered, walking calmly towards the duo with Percy a step behind me.

"Ms. Jackson, have you ever shadow-traveled before?" Nico asked politely.

"Oh don't call me Ms. Jackson, Sally will do just fine." I commented warmly. "As for the shadow traveling, I can't say I have, though I imagine it won't be all too pleasant."

"You're right about that." Percy commented. "It feels like those anti-gravity rides at a fair mixed with a bath of ice water."

"Real encouraging, Seaweed Brain." Thalia retorted. "It'll be fine, Sally. It only takes a few seconds."

I nodded my thanks. "Well, I suppose we should get going. It sounds like we need to prepare for a battle."

_Line Break~

**That's it for this chapter. I thought a lot about what some of the reviews said, and I have concluded that my story is getting quite repetitive. This next fight will be the final battle, for real this time. I hope to conclude this fanfiction within 2-3 more chapters, possibly before that. Thank you so much to anyone and everyone who reads this. I have reread the beginning, and I can honestly say I'm quite disappointed in myself. Hopefully my writing will improve with time, thank you guys so much again! I'm sorry for updating so slowly, I hope you liked this chapter! Take it easy, U got 2 get down 2 get up**


	20. Chapter 20

**Hello. Azuphere, Thank you so much! I'm so glad you liked it! Kate, I'm really glad you liked it, and that you're still reading! It's great to see your reviews on most of my chapters! Guest for Chapter 8, Thank you! I'm happy you like that line, I didn't know if it worked or not. Guest, I'm glad you liked that part! Thank you! TheDarkKnight1991, Haha, I think Pally is as close as we can get. I'm really glad the Sally POV worked, thank you! Thank you, I was re-reading my earlier chapters a few days ago...I don't know how anyone go through that part. How about a partition? A million people voting for the RoL should get it published, don't you think? Thank you so much about the Stolls, I'm so glad they've been working out. Thank you so much for everything!**

**Thank you to everyone still reading, it really means a lot. I'm very sorry for not updating in so long, I've been having horrible writer's block. I realize that's not much of an excuse, but...that's really all I've got. Sorry!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson, all rights belong to Rick Riordan**

**Annabeth's**** POV**

"No way, man, you're joking."

"Am not."

"Are to."

"Prove it then. Prove to me that I'm lying."

"_You _prove that you're not!"

"I asked you first!"

"Well I'm a mechanic, meaning I have a technical mind."

"I'm a prankster, meaning I have a brilliant mind."

"I- wait, are you insinuating I'm not brilliant?"

"Now why would you say that?"

I stood up, putting myself in between the bickering figures of the son of Hephaestus and the son of Hermes. "SHUT UP! Both of you need to stop bickering like two-year olds right now! We need to finish and finalize our plan." I ordered, having enough of their meaningless fight.

"He started it!" The two boys exclaimed in unison, both pointing a finger accusingly at the other. I groaned, rubbing my temples with my fingers.

"Shut up!" Piper's voice rang out in the hotel room, causing complete silence. She rested her head against Jason's shoulder, letting out a sigh. "Please. Look, I know this is new, and I know we're all stressed. However, we need to work together. As soon as Percy Thalia and Nico come back with Ms. Jackson, we need to be able to explain to them our plans. Which means, letting Annabeth have some quiet to think as well as alleviating the awful headache that your bickering will ensue."

Jason pulled Piper further into his chest, letting her rest almost completely on top of him. He shot Leo and Connor Stoll a warning glance, one that clearly stated "Bother my girlfriend again and you'll be in for a Hades of a fight."

I mouthed a quick "thank you" to Piper, receiving a nod in return. "Okay," I started again. My feet carried me next to the coffee table where our crudely drawn map was spread out. I pointed to an "x" shape on the map. "This is our goal, where Reyna is holding the sky." I slowly traced my index finger down the path leading to the summit. "Assuming that Luke will keep his earlier battle strategy, he will still keep all of his warriors on the summit. That leaves only one problem, getting past the Hesperides once again. They will definitely not let us through as easily as they had before since they know that we are a threat. We need to rely on the pride Luke holds and hopefully the conflicting personalities in his gang."

Leo and Travis walked over, their arms casually slung around each other like best buds. I rolled my eyes at how quick and meaningless their fights were.

"We have more guys with us now, though. We have Percy, Jason, Nico, Frank, Grover, Travis and myself. Those are enough bodies to hold back you, Pipes, Thalia, Hazel and Ms. Jackson." Leo put in optimistically.

Piper shook her head. "Did you not just hear Annabeth? The Hesperides know we're a threat now, they're not just gonna stand back and sing like they did last time."

"What are they going to do?" Frank asked, his face set into a hard expression.

I shook my head, "I don't know, Frank. I really don't." I felt the atmosphere turn grim, my friends were used to me knowing a strategy and a plan. The truth was, though, I didn't. I followed my gut instincts and hoped for the best. I observed the way others fought and pointed out their weaknesses. I learned about my enemies mind set and dislodged it with clever little tricks. I couldn't just think up a plan out of the blue, no matter how godly my heritage was.

"You don't have to know." Hazel's reply seemed to echo in the hotel room. I gazed at the young girl. I had never really given it much thought before, but she was always the one to hold us together. To keep us from straying from our path. "You're smart, but you can't predict the future. We can only hope for the best and give it our all."

I nodded my head toward her, "Thank you."

She shrugged, "No problem. Just do your best, and that's enough to get us through."

I could feel a smile stretch my lips. "Will do."

o.O.o

**Jason's POV**

I listened to Annabeth explain her predictions and plans as I sat with Piper leaning against me. I knew I should've been paying more attention, yet I couldn't help letting my focus wander. Where would tomorrow lead us? Would we be safe and on our way to Camp Half Blood? Or would we all be prisoners of the son of Hermes as well as Eris?

I glanced at our rag-tag group of fighters. We were all misfits, either being too smart, weird, quiet or powerful to be considered one with our peers. We had all gone through something that brings a shiver to people's spine, yet we were the perfect team. I hadn't noticed until that moment, but we had learned and grew with each other over the past months. You could always find Leo and Annabeth collaborating on some extensive project that involved way too many screws and levers for the rest of us to keep up. Hazel and Thalia were always sparring together, strengthing their skills. Piper and Percy seemed to be inseparable, always goofing around and making jokes. Hazel and Grover had grown close, constantly sharing thoughts on the environment and occasionally horses. Frank and I had grown close, training together with all kinds of different weapons. Even Reyna had a place. She and Nico had formed a close bond ever since Reyna had found Nico clutching a picture of his mother and sister. It seemed like the two really understood each other.

I couldn't imagine losing one of our team members, family members. We each relied so heavily on one another. If one of us died, than it would be like a link in a chain was destroyed. The chain would be useless after that.

"In the simplest terms, our goal is to get up the mountain and rescue Reyna." Annabeth's sharp voice broke me out of my trance. "There are three major problems. One, Luke Castellan and his little army. They are good fighters and are ready to defend the mountain at all costs." She held up her index finger, indicating the first problem.

Piper and Hazel nodded, yet Frank hesitated. "We don't know that for certain." His voice was hesitant as he spoke out, unused to challenging Annabeth's thoughts. "We don't know that Luke needs the mountain incredibly so. We can't assume that there so desperate to keep it."

Annabeth nodded in agreement, "Thank you, Frank. You are correct, we don't know the worth that holds for Luke." She frowned slightly. "I suppose we just have to hope."

I gulped slightly, anything Annabeth wasn't certain about made me nervous. Annabeth always knew. "Okay, then, fine. Mt. Tam is Luke's base, that has to stand for something. Plus he has quite an advantageous spot up there, meaning that it has to hold at least a little worth in his eyes." I put in.

Annabeth nodded, her grey eyes thoughtful. "We also have to believe that Luke will have reinforcements with him this time. Monsters, hellhounds, something. I doubt he is going to take the chance of a stalemate again." Annabeth held up a second finger. "His reinforcements happen to be the second major problem, as well as the mountain itself."

Piper nodded, "So what now? What are we going to do?"

"Fight. There isn't anything else we can do." Frank said, his words causing a heavy atmosphere to push down on all of us.

"Third problem," Annabeth continued, trudging on. "the power hungry goddess backing Luke up." In response to Frank's earlier statement, she replied. "I don't know how far blindly fighting will get us, Frank." Annabeth sighed tiredly. "A battle without a strategy usually ends in defeat."

"But we would have something." Leo put in suddenly. "We'd have Connor and Percy's mom. That will cause Eris a little bit of a headache, no?"

"That, or it could give her even more power." Piper muttered.

Leo shot her a look. "Yes, but at the same time, too much power..." He trailed off grinning.

"Plus one power hungry goddess equals..." Connor smirked as he slung an arm around Leo's shoulders. The two wore identical mischievous expressions.

Leo mimicked Connor, "One exploded goddess coming right up. Would you like fries with that?"

o.O.o

**Grover's POV**

I couldn't help but burst out laughing. There on the floor sat three frazzled teenagers and one middle-aged woman. Thalia was sprawled out spread-eagle, while Nico lay next to her, groaning. The two shot me dirty looks, immediately silencing my previous laughter, as they shakily stood.

"Mom, you okay?" I turned to my best friend's voice, and watched open-mouthed as he pulled a woman up. The woman was had soft brown hair and greenish-blue eyes. They were kind, yet I could tell there was a fierce fire in her. My mouth was agape as I watched Percy's mother, the woman who had supposedly died all those years ago stand not five feet away from me.

"Yes, thank you Percy." Her voice was exactly like how I remembered it, judging from the few times I had actually come face to face with her. "I haven't shadow traveled in quite a while." She added thoughtfully as she scanned the room.

Her eyes fell on the waiting teens, all wearing equally shocked expressions. Percy stood behind his mother, a small smile creeping onto his face. I took this time to actually look at Sally Jackson for the first time in a very long time. She had the same brown hair, pulled up into a neat bun. Her blue eyes were just how I remembered them to be, kindness and empathy swirling in them.

"Ms. Jackson!" I bleated. I was unable to stop my hooves from running to her. She reminded me of my own mother, so much that I couldn't help but want to hug her.

"Grover!" She laughed as she wrapped me in a hug. "You've grown! I see that your horns are coming in nicely as well." She commented, looking me up and down as an aunt or grandmother would do.

"It's unbelievable to see you again, Ms. Jackson." I swallowed harshly, trying not to let my emotions cloud my speech.

"It's Sally, Grover, no need for formalities."

I nodded, looking over her shoulder. Shock ran through my system as I saw Percy. There wasn't a drastic change from the last time I had seen him, yet there was definitely something different about him. He stood straighter, taller, as he hovered behind his mother. A smile, one of humor and good-nature, was set on his face. I hadn't seen that smile for quite a while. However, the best change was his eyes. They had always been green, but they had dulled once his mother died, losing their color as well as a sparkle that used to be set in them. With his mother by his side, though, his eyes were the vibrant green I remembered. Even better, they contained that sparkle, containing humor, confidence and happiness, something I hadn't seen them display in a long time. The old Percy was back.

Unknowingly proving my thoughts, Percy stepped forward, letting out a laugh. It traveled through the room, the contagious sound washing over all who stood within it's walls. Piper, Jason, Frank, Hazel and Leo's expressions all conveyed shock as they listened, having never heard Percy's real laugh before. They had only heard strained chuckles and weak snickers before, so his full laughed must've been unexpected. Thalia, Nico and I shared a smile, silently rejoicing that our Percy was back. Annabeth stood quietly, listening to his laugh as if trying to memorize it.

"I think mom is more happy to see you then me, Grover." Percy let out another chuckle.

Sally shook her head at her son. "Well Grover always put his dishes in the sink, unlike someone I know." She sassed, all the while smiling lovingly at her son. "So Percy, would you like to introduce me to your friends?"

"Nah, I think I'll do it in a month or so." He chuckled again, leaning against a wall. However he quickly continued once his mother shot him a warning glance. "Uh right, okay. This is Frank and Hazel." He started off, gesturing towards the pair.

Hazel politely stepped forwards. "It's nice to meet you, m'am."

Frank nodded along, letting his girlfriend speak for the two of them.

"It's nice to meet you, too, Hazel." Sally replied, a kind smile on her face. "Call me Sally, dear, please do."

Percy gestured to the next pair, which just happened to be Piper and Jason. "That's Piper and Jason."

"Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Jackson." Jason greeted formally and politely.

Piper smiled at Sally, "Hello, Ms. Jackson! It's great to finally meet you!"

"Pleasure's all mine," Sally answered, shaking hands with the two teenagers. "Please call me Sally."

Sally and Percy moved on, coming to a stop in front of Leo and Connor. "This is Leo and Connor." Percy introduced, pointing to each respectively.

"Hiya, Sally!" Leo smiled enthusiastically, being the first to use Sally's preferred name.

Sally smiled easily, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Hello, Leo! How are you?"

"I'm good, how 'bout you?"

"Doing well, thank you."

Connor stepped forward, waving informally. "Hi, Sally. Good to meet you." His voice was polite, a tone that felt quite foreign for the demigod.

"Hello, Connor, it's good to meet you as well, dear."

Percy and his mom turned to the last teenager. "This, is Annabeth." He walked up to Annabeth, reaching out to hold her hand sweetly. He turned to face his mother again, his hand still holding her's. "She's my, uh, girlfriend." Percy rushed out the ending, nervously waiting for his mother's reaction. We all waited with baited breaths, unsure of how Sally Jackson would react.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Jackson." Annabeth held out her hand a bit nervously, hesitant.

Her blue eyes held an amused light as her lips curled into a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Annabeth. Keep my son in line, will you?" She replied as Sally pulled Annabeth into a hug. "Please dear, call me Sally."

o.O.o

**Connor's POV**

We stood a mile or so off from the foot of the mountain. Mt. Tam, Luke Castellan's base. I gritted my teeth at the thought of the trader who brainwashed my brother. Travis had been so carefree and happy before Luke had gotten to him. He had the most happy and energetic personality, making everyone around him want to groan and laugh at the same time.

"So, are we all clear on what's going on?" Annabeth asked for the millionth time. She had been going over our battle strategy all afternoon, up until only a few minutes before we entered the Hesperides' garden.

Leo rolled his eyes, a bold move to pull in front of the strategist. "Yeah, yeah, we got it already. It's practically the same plan we had before, only we're doing it with more people. No biggie, Annabeth."

The glare she pierced him with was enough to have him scuttling backwards and out of arm's reach. I chuckled, slyly turning away so the others wouldn't see. Leo reminded me of Travis before Luke got to him. I sent a glance towards the group, taking in the scene before me. They fit together like puzzle pieces, each filling a specific part. Percy and Annabeth stood at the front of the group, unknowingly claiming leadership of the group. The two were deep in conversation, periodically checking on their friends. Hazel and Piper were off to the side, practicing their swordsmanship together. They filled the compassion part of the group, stopping to look at things in different perspectives before charging in to battle. Thalia and Nico were engaged in a conversation with each other. The two were a duo no one wanted to face on the battle field, filling the position of raw power and strength. Jason, Leo and Frank were in a small group, occasionally using their odd powers respectively.

They were a group, and yet I didn't feel excluded or awkward. There was just something about the way they welcomed allies and friends that made you feel comfortable. I faced the two leaders as they effortlessly gained the attention of their friends.

"It's 7:55, meaning the sun will start to set in three minutes." Annabeth started. "We have a roughly 5-10 minutes to get through the garden. Our strategy is essentially the same. Guys will keep us from dancing while Leo and Jason distract Ladon."

Percy nodded, continuing on with the strategy. "Once we all get through, our climb up the mountain will start. Hopefully we'll reach the sumit within 15 minutes, where Reyna is being kept."

"After that, the fight begins. There are three key points to the battle. One," Annabeth held up her index finger. "Connor and Travis have to interact. Connor, the discord that is sure to stem from your and Travis's emotions will give Eris a power-boast." Annabeth turned her grey eyes from me onto the rest of the demigods. "That means that the fight will get harder. Eris will be stronger, therefore she'll be summoning more monsters, giving strength to Luke and his gang and probably heading into battle herself."

"If Eris does personally start to fight, Thalia and Nico will take her on." Percy explains. "If they can't hold her back, I will join the fight. Hopefully with the combination of powers, it can hold her back."

"Second key point is to have Ms- I mean, Sally, to be within the vicinity. She cannot be harmed, but she must be near the fight. Her very presence should disrupt the natural order therefore creating another source of discord."

Percy went on, a serious expression set on his face. "I want Jason and Piper to keep my mom safe. You work well together and are both very powerful. I trust you guys."

The pair nodded, determination clear in their eyes.

"And finally, getting Reyna out from under the sky." Annabeth's last statement caused a hush to fall upon our group. We knew what had to happen in exchange for Reyna's freedom.

Leo, unusually serious stepped forward. "How are we supposed to do that?" The solemn tone of his voice just gave more reality to the situation.

Annabeth's gaze landed on the ground before quickly shooting back up. "I have a plan, one that doesn't end up with one of us under the sky. You just have to trust me, okay?" Percy stood behind her, a hand placed gently on her shoulder. His green eyes were grim.

"Why can't you tell us?" Nico asked. His tone wasn't suspicous, just apprehensive.

"I can't tell you because you might not like it. I need you to focus on the fight, nothing else." Her voice wield an apologetic tone, yet a firm one as well. She was not going to budge on this point.

Nico opened his mouth to protest, but was stopped by Thalia. He gave her a stunned look as she held her hand in front of him, silencing his protest. The punk girl merely stared at Annabeth, obviously assessing her old friend. Finally she nodded at Annabeth as she lowered her hand.

Annabeth replied with a relieved nod, a brief grin flashing onto her face. "After we have Reyna back, we retreat. Nico, can you shadow travel that many people at once?"

Nico, still seemingly uncomfortable shook his head. "It was a stretch to shadow travel seven people at full strength. Thirteen people at medium strength isn't going to possible for me."

Percy nodded in understanding. "Alright. Frank, can you turn into to something to carry a few people?"

The young man nodded, confidence showing in his face. "A dragon should be able to carry at least four people if two don't mind being carried by claws."

"Great, that would get us down to seven. What about you, Jason? Can you fly yourself and another off the mountain?"

Jason seemed slightly uncomfortable yet he nodded all the same. "Yes, I'll be able to do it."

Annabeth nodded. "That brings us down to five. Can you transport that many people at medium strength, Nico?"

The kid nodded, his black hair falling into his eyes a bit. "Yep, five will be doable."

"Good." Annabeth suddenly ducks her head, checking her digital watch. Her sharp intake of breath was audible even in the open area. "7:58." She stated as she glanced back up to meet our eyes.

"Show time, kids!" Leo shook his head. "Wow, déjà vu." Leo's nervous voice broke us out of our daze. "Anyway, can't keep the ladies waiting now can we?"

o.O.o

**Annabeth's POV**

I nervously stepped toward the gate of the garden, memories of the previous visit flashing to my mind. Stepping carefully, I stopped at the edge of the Hesperides' Garden.

Glancing behind me, I caught the apprehensive expressions on my friends' faces. They looked unsure, an emotion I expected after my suspicous behavior not five minutes ago. I didn't want to without information from them, but it was better for them not to know. If they did, no matter how much they trusted me, they would try to stop me.

I glanced over at Percy as he brought out Riptide. He caught my eye and gave me an encouraging smile. I forced a small smile in return, but I knew this could end horribly. Even Percy probably wouldn't approve of my plan. Even he would find it suspicous.

_And rightfully so._

**Okay...well there we go. Major déjà vu, I suppose. I am so sorry for not updating in... Around three months give or take. I really don't know how I managed to do that...that is a record of procrastination for me. Anyway, thank you so incredibly much for reading this seemingly aimless story. I re-read the entire story recently. I really am not pleased with most of it, but hopefully I'll get the last few chapters written. I have mostly everything planned out in my mind, but if anyone has any suggestions I would love to hear it.**

**Oh, another apology. I'm really sorry for basically reiterating my last chapter in this one, but my plot has changed drastically from where I was headed last update. Their plan is getting more and more complicated in my head, and of course I as the author have to make it as complicated as possible for them.**

**Review if you have the time, I know it can be a bit of a hassle. Thank you so much for reading, once again. Take it easy, U got 2 get down 2 get up**


	21. I'm Back! And also Ch 21

**Hello, after a good eternity or so, I'm back. I don't have a very good reason for being dormant, so I'm not going to try and make one. I simply was caught up in the ways of life, and kinda ran out of motivation to be honest. But, here I am again. Ready to finish this horribly-started story. Shall we?**

**Dawnwizard8010, I don't know how to say how grateful I am that you review so much. Thank you so much... and sorry. I didn't exactly update very soon, now did I?**

**Disclaimer : I do not own the Percy Jackson series or any of the characters. All rights go to Rick Riordan**

**Percy's POV**

The golden sunrays casted a warm glow over the horizon. I let my eyes stay glued to the magical sight for a few minutes, then forcefully ripped myself away from it. I couldn't let things distract me, not when there was so much at stake. I had time for one last breath before a digital beep sounded.

All heads turned to Annabeth, her hair shining, liquid honey in the setting light. She looked up from her watch, her silver eyes meeting those of her team carefully. "It's time."

I grimaced, nodding my consent. Slowly, I grabbed Annabeth's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze as I did. I watched as our group prepared themselves to pass through the garden of dangerous dragons and even more dangerous dancing girls. This was it, the journey would begin.

Striding cautiously into the garden, I waited for the Hesperides I had been so severely warned against. Just when I was about to breath a sigh of relief, the spirits came. They seemed to be woven from pure sunlight as they appeared, ghostly and beautiful. Their features were unrealistically perfect, creating a sense of unease in me as I observed them. Their figures were clad in milky white chitons while beige sandals twisted over their feet, as if the ground itself was growing to accommodate their feet. Their obsidian eyes held the spark of superiority, the cold distance shining as they stared at our approaching figures.

"Come back again, fools?" The Hesperide in the middle spoke, her tone as cold and beautiful as herself.

"You know us, always forgetting things." I answered calmly, taking measured steps towards the beings. "Can't leave anything behind, now can we?"

"Then you are trapped in a deadly cycle." The Hesperide regarded me disinterestedly. "You can never leave this mountain without leaving behind one of thy friends."

"I guess we'll just have to keep coming back and kicking you and your father's butts, then." Leo retorted from the back of the group.

The Hesperide to the leader's left took a step forward, an expression of anger clouding her beautiful, stone face. "You would do well to remember your place, half-blood. Our father will not take kindly to you revisiting his home."

"We'll take our chances, thanks." I blurted out before Leo could make another comment. Shooting him a quick look, I turned back to the Hesperides. "Well if that's all, we'll just be going…"

The lead Hesperide laughed, an unpleasant sound like the wind howling on a dark, winter night. "Although you and thy friends have no chance against our father, we cannot let our entertainment go so easily." She turned to her sister on the end of the line, her smile becoming more malicious by the second. "Rouse the dragon."

The sister nodded, stepping forward in the direction of the giant snake like dragon curled around a tree.

Sad to say, I had failed to notice the gigantic lizard not twelve feet away. It's scales glistened in the setting sun, it's body massive and strong. Before I could analyze it anymore, the Hesperide stepped forward.

"Ladon, wake!" Her voice rang through the clearing. Most people would've let the voice by as a simple raise of volume, too focused on not being eaten in the next two minutes. However —being the hyperactive demigod I am— I noticed the slight difference in her voice compared to the others. Her voice rang with a deep power, embedded in the cool tone. *

The one in the middle didn't wake the dragon. I thought as I took Annabeth by the hand and taking out Riptide with my other. She had to ask her sister to. The dragon can obviously wake at any sound, given that it's loud enough. But I wonder if the sister is the only one who can control the dragon…

My thoughts were cut short as a deafening roar rang out. My eyes snapped to the dragon, now on it's feet and not looking all that happy. Glancing over my shoulder, I watched as Jason and Leo stepped up together, creating an easy target for the dragon. Nico grasped Thalia by the waist while Frank took both Hazel and Piper by the hand. Grover took Annabeth's hand while I took my mom's. **

Ladon took rumbling steps towards our group, menacing eyes observing us all. Its hide was a bronze, coppery color and it shimmered in the evening light. The Hesperides opened their mouths, presumably to start their song. Personally I couldn't hear a thing, but my mom tensed in my arms, signaling that the silent power had begun. I pressed my lips into a small grimace, quickly gesturing for the others to get going. We didn't have anytime to waste.

"Hey!" Leo's shout rang out, bringing the dragon's attention to him. 100 heads turned towards the figure, seeming suddenly so small compared to the mass before him.

The Hesperides merely watched, their mouths still moving to their silent melody. Mom started to drag in my arms, slowly resisting my pulls as I heaved her across the garden. With a quick glance, I could tell that Nico, Grover and especially Frank were all starting to have trouble as well. Piper and Hazel both seemed to be faring mediocre, a slight tremble in their movements as they forced themselves to keep walking. Annabeth had her eyes tightly shut as she allowed Grover to guide her to the other side of the beautiful garden.

I grunted, praying to the gods that we could all pass in one piece. Swiftly maneuvering around snow-white roses, we were almost three quarters of the way. And that's when we heard it.

A blood-curdling scream ripped through the air. Spinning on my heel, I watched in horror as Hazel broke free of Frank's strong grip. She ran straight towards the Hesperides, like she was about to strike. I knew better, though. I knew she was about to start the eternal dance of death. One Hesperide held the smallest smirk on her olive-toned face, as she stared coldly at my friend.

"NO!" There was a flash of curly hair, and suddenly Leo tackled Hazel to the ground. The two wrestled on the ground, one trying their best to get up while the other tried the best to stay down. Although Hazel had summers of training behind her, she was also entranced by the music. Her movements were slow and sloppy. Leo, on the other hand, was swift and alert, easily winning the wrestling match.

I started to move forward, until I felt a pull in my arms. Mom. I couldn't just put her in danger as well. I thought frantically of a way to help, but before I could get anywhere, a yell broke my thoughts.

"Keep going! We're fine!" Leo shouted as he stumbled towards us, fighting Hazel every step of the way.

I reached out to help, but Frank had already caught the arm of a thrashing Hazel. Together, Frank and Leo dragged Hazel towards the path. I almost breathed a sigh of relief, but that was before I remembered. Jason

* * *

**Jason's POV**

I heard Hazel scream, the silent song finally getting to her. I flinched, about to run to her aid when Leo had already reached her. So instead of creating more of a crowd, I focused on keeping the dragon's attention.

"Hey!" I shouted loudly, throwing a rock at the writhing, bronze creature. "Hey, ugly! I don't know if you can understand English, but I just wanted to tell you that you're slower than the myths say!"

I'm not sure if it was the rock, the insult, or just the shouting, but I definitely succeeded in capturing its attention. All one thousand heads swiveled towards me, two thousand ruby red eyes glaring at me. A quick glance told me that my friends needed more time. Grover and Annabeth slowly made their way towards the path, followed closely by Nico and Thalia. Together, Frank and Leo dragged Hazel to the pathway while Percy guided his mother as well as Piper. I knew that they wouldn't be able to get to the path with all the commotion Hazel was making, not safely anyway.

Keep her safe. Was the thought as I stared at Piper's retreating form. Her shoulders were slumped, but she was soldiering on anyhow. As if feeling my stare, she turned towards me. Her eyes, a million different colors that I couldn't even name, stared into mine. I gave her a smile, before I turned my attention back to the matter at hand. I picked up another rock. I fired at Ladon with all my might, aiming for a head, any head.

The dragon roared in outrage, moving slowly towards me. It loomed over me as it rumbled forward, shaking the very ground. I slowly backed away, unsure how far it would wander from the tree it was meant to protect.

If I can just bring him farther away from the path, the others could get Hazel through. I thought as I analyzed exactly how much movement Hazel was making. I need to get it as far away from the tree as I can.

"I thought you were supposed to be strong and powerful. Why, I bet you couldn't even fly, dragon." I summoned the winds as I spoke, slowly letting it lift my feet off the ground. I could feel the power surrounding me, as if it was assuring me that it was there.

The dragon glared at me, coming to a stop not five feet away. The look of rage told me that it wasn't far from losing itself to anger, yet I knew it was going to take more than a few weak taunts to take it away from the tree it had guarded for a millennium. I let myself rise higher, urging the winds to help me.

"You can't fly, can you?" I sneered as best I could. "Well so long, I suppose, I'll just be on my way and tell everyone of the weak, earthbound dragon on my way back to camp. I'm sure everyone will get a kick out of that!" With a final glance towards my friends, I let the wind take me up, heading away from the enraged dragon. Please, please, please let this work. I thought, unsure if I was actually praying to a god or just thinking to myself.

A furious howl sounded below me, the great dragon who guarded the tree for millennium finally giving into anger. He pushed off the ground and followed me. I would like to say I acted heroically, giving way to a long and fast chase as my friend valiantly struggled to the path. But I'd be lying. As soon as the dragon got within 12 feet from me, it seemed to realize what a stupid thing it had done. Without a second glance to me, it wheeled around and started to glide back. Yet I could see the smallest difference in its course. It wasn't heading towards where it originally had been, but to where my friends were staggering the last few yards till the path. Piper turned her head over her shoulder, her beautiful kaleidoscope eyes widening in fear. That did it.

"No!" I screamed, shooting forward in a diagonal towards the dragon. I would not let my friends die like that, crushed under the weight of a stupid dragon. They were counting on me, and I was not going to let them down. "Over here, you overgrown snake!" My voice was desperate, but I knew there was no other way. As the dragon turned to look at me for a split second, I let the winds drop me just enough to slid under its chin. I turned around, my back towards my friends not five meters away and blasted a gust of wind at the dragon. It reeled back, stumbling.

"Jason!" Piper screamed, "You idiot, what are you doing? You're going to get hurt!"

She's not wrong. A small voice squeaked inside my head. The dragon had recovered and was flying towards my friends and I in fury. "Just get up the path! I'll be okay!" At the time I hadn't heard the sharp intake of breath that both Grover, Annabeth and Thalia. Instead I was focusing on creating another wall of wind, hoping against hope that I would withstand another headbutt from the monstrous billy goat people called a dragon.

Ladon crashed into my shield, shoving me backwards. I clenched my teeth, tensing every muscle in my body as I did my best to absorb the force. It sent shock waves through me, loosening my 'grip' on the wind wall. I let out a gasp of pain as the pressure increased. Slip, slip, sliding away…

Suddenly, a strange quality filled the air. Not strange as in unnatural, but more strange as if it didn't belong in such a violent fight. I could hear water running, birds tweeting and even feel the sun on my back. A soft wind brushed against my cheek, unlike the fierce wind I had created as a wall, instead being a soft warmth. The warmth seemed to spread from my cheek throughout my entire body, engulfing me in a peaceful yet powerful embrace.

_Grover._

I allowed myself the quickest of glances over my shoulder. In the millisecond I spared, I caught the figure of the satyr, reed pipes to mouth as his melody danced through the air. I had experienced Grover's woodland magic before. But this… this was something different. Instead of the expected airy tune or the calming creek, there was something powerful in this melody. I didn't just hear a creek flowing over rocks, I heard the element that carved rocks, that eroded mountains. Instead of hearing the joyful air, I heard the battle cry of the wind as it whipped through the atmosphere, running faster than any monster could. The melody was not so much threatening, as it was purely powerful. I shook my head, knowing full well that it was not the time to start analyzing songs. Yet I was a second too late.

Turning back, I realized that I had been too slow, the dragon was already charging. Unable to brace for the dragon flying right at me, I did the only thing I could to keep my friends as safe as I could. Instead of keeping the wall of air (that would inevitably fall anyway) I twisted around, wrapping it around my friends instead. I barely had time to register Piper's look of horror before everything went dark.

o.O.o

**Grover's POV**

My guilt flew as Jason fell.

It was my fault. If I hadn't started the stupid song, then maybe Jason wouldn't have gotten distracted by it. Maybe it wouldn't have made him miss that crucial second to brace for impact. Maybe it would've kept him from being flung like a rag doll into a tree.

"Jason!" Piper's screech echoed through the garden. Oblivious to the danger of running straight through the path of a hundred-headed dragon, she sprinted to Jason. I was about to follow before the dragon decided it was time to make another charge. It backed up slowly, it's nasty eyes locked on Jason, as Piper struggled to pull him out of the way.

Hades no. My eyes narrowed. Gone was the self-conscious satyr with questionable woodland magic. I didn't even think as I brought my pan pipes to my lips. Ladon was going to regret this.

If you asked me what I played back there, I wouldn't be able to tell you exactly. I didn't play some old, blessed song from Pan. Nor did I play some powerful song incorporating fields and creeks. I played anger. I played hurt, desperation, pain. I played my terror, letting it escape through my lips only to be captured by the pan pipes I so dearly loved. I played my sorrow as I thought of Ms. Jackson. I played my loneliness as I relived all those solemn nights under the moon. No Percy, no friend, not even a dryad or nymph. No one but me. But mostly, I played the protectiveness welling up deep inside me. Because that's what I was as a satyr. I wasn't just an eco-friendly, socially awkward kid that was part goat. I was a protector, and that was what I was going to do.

Vines cracked the surface of the hard ground with a massive crunch. The dark green of their limbs climbed and curled as they started to rise like a wall. Sharp thorns started to sprout out of gods-know-where, covering the thick vines in razor teeth. Ladon took a startled flap backwards, looking perturbedly at the suddenly-formed wall. That wall was new for him as he cautiously eyed it.

Narrowing my eyes, I could feel certainty washing over me. I could take care of this just fine. "Percy!" I yelped, as I took a quick breath keeping my eyes on Ladon. "We're fine, Piper and I can handle this! Head up the mountain. You can't waste any more time here, okay?"

"Bu-"

"It's fine, just go! I've got this and you're wasting time!" I allowed myself a quick glance at my old friend. Percy stood indecisively, yet I could see my logic was working. His mouth turned down into grim acceptance, nodding towards me. Another swift look over my shoulder, and my confidence doubled. Piper stood in front of Jason's dazed form protectively, a fire in her kaleidoscope eyes that screamed vengeance. Yes, we would be just fine.

Annabeth placed a hand on Percy's arm in reassurance before quickly leading the others up the trail at a fast pace. With one last nod, Percy gave me a quick smile and set up off the mountain. Although unseen, I returned the smile before turning back to the matter at hand. Ladon was in for a surprise.

* * *

**Annabeth's POV**

Although we had to leave Piper, Jason and Grover, we made a fast trip up the mountain. I finally allowed myself to think that maybe, just maybe we would be able to make it up to the summit before complete dark. Maybe they didn't set another line of defense somewhere. These thoughts fueled me, that was until we were ambushed.

**Thank you so much! If you'd like you could possibly maybe follow, or review? Just a thought…. Regardless, I hope everyone has a wonderful day/night/some-other-time. I will try my best to update soon, but I can promise that I WILL finish this story!**

*** I don't believe there is such a thing as that, a certain power that one of the Hesperides have to wake the dragon, but for the purposes of this story I decided to put that bit in.**

**** Although my first thought was to have Annabeth and Percy go together, I believe that it would be much more natural and comfortable for all parties if Percy went with his mom and Grover took Annabeth.**


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